Psychedelic
by Kisses Reflect
Summary: Set after the eighth season, Juliet and Shawn are getting married! It's all puppies and rainbows until Julies finds a note with sinister words that brings everything to a frightening stand still. Eight years of friendship may dissolve with the fact that Shawn may not be who he says he is. Crossover with Fear Itself: In Sickness and In Health.
1. Psyche

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as does the producers of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**This fic is a crossover between **_**Psych**_** and **_**Fear Itself: In Sickness and In Health**_**. (The episode might be kooky, but the acting sends shivers up your spine.) Spoilers prevalent through both series.**

* * *

**1\. Psyche**

"Stop! Stop it!" Juliet shrieked. Shawn's arms were still around her. He had no intentions of letting go. She squirmed trying to wrestle free but he held fast.

"Awww, come on, Jules. Give in!"

She twisted herself from his grip, still laughing uncontrollably. His fingers continued to fly over her waist and torso, right over her tickle spots.

When Juliet O'Hara had taken her sabbatical to start the final preparations for her wedding, she hadn't included the time wasting her fiancé would eventually do.

Shawn Spencer was one ridiculous, juvenile delinquent in his thirties and Juliet was absolutely in love with him. She could tell that everyone had their doubts with Shawn and his commitment-phobia but Juliet had more faith and she was enthralled when she saw that glittering little diamond he had offered her.

The ring was currently encasing the fourth finger on her hand and she loved to rub her thumb against it every time she thought about her husband-to-be.

She was developing a callus on her thumb pad.

They were in the apartment and where supposed to be sorting out the guest seating arrangements for the ceremony when Shawn had decided that a tickle war was in order.

Mercifully, he stopped when he saw her pink, puffed up cheeks and heaving breaths.

"Inhale and exhale, honey. And then, round two."

"Oooh no." She pushed him away and stood up from the couch, forcing her face into a glare when she saw his cheeky grin. There was a love-hate relationship with that trademark smirk.

Shawn leaned forwards and clasped her hand. He kept his eyes trained on hers – a smouldering gaze – and kissed her knuckles.

Juliet melted on the inside. Was he trying to kill her?

"We have to finish this by today." She insisted, seating beside him. He held up his hands.

"Gotcha cop. Old people can sit by the speakers so they can hear the ceremony. Snotty kids can be put in a play pen near the flower stands. All middle aged bald guys can cosy up with the desperate housewives and the families can squeeze in somewhere in the chaos."

Juliet smacked his face lightly with a brochure. Shawn was being especially distracted today. She couldn't help but wonder if this was moving too fast for him.

"Shawn, I really want to organize this before the hectic atmosphere gets to us. The gifts have already started coming in and you promised to handle that tomorrow."

He gave a groan and slouched on the couch. "Man, I forgot about that. Anyhoo, shouldn't the bride be in charge of gifts?"

"The bride is too busy minding her groom. He seems to have forgotten the responsibility."

Shawn leaned in. Their noses touched and she went crossed eyed.

"The groom is busy thinking that the couple should have eloped."

Juliet sighed and moved away. She pushed aside the pamphlets and put up her legs on the tea table, resting her head back and closing her eyes. She felt the couch shift as he moved closer to her and she voiced her thoughts.

"That's the second time you've mentioned eloping. Do you really not want this wedding?"

He didn't say anything for a while. She opened her eyes and saw him pursuing his lips under contemplation.

"Are you seriously thinking about it?!" She yelled. "Shawn, you said you wanted to see me in white."

"I do! Jules, it's just that these past few weeks have been mind numbing. The cake tasting, dress shopping, table clothe, china, church booking, everything's been going in a rush. I can't keep up."

He looked at her beseechingly. "I can't handle this like you. Eloping sounds so much simpler but we're still getting married. We can wear the dress and tux, recite the vows and it'll be registered. Don't tell me you're not having a mid-life crisis just trying to organize the whole thing."

She sat there, watching him relax from the venting. His face had gone pink and his lips looked even pinker. Without preamble, she surged forwards, grabbed the collar of his biker's jacket (gosh, he looked so hot in it) and kissed him, long and hard.

A few papers were ruffled, the table was pushed away and a few hours later, they were looking up at the ceiling, panting.

"We've ...never done it on the couch, right?"

Juliet let out a heavy giggle. "I don't think so."

He turned in his spot, making sure not accidentally push her off. "I thought you'd make me sleep on the couch tonight for making the 'elope' comment. Didn't think you'd join me."

Juliet's smile wavered remembering that. "Is that what you want? To call off the wedding and drive to Las Vegas or something?"

Shawn propped up his elbow, putting his weight on it. He leaned towards her, pressing his lips to her shoulder. "I was actually thinking City Hall. But your idea sounds way better."

She placed her palm on his chest to nudge him away. The clothes were picked up and silently worn until the pair was only slightly dishevelled. She looked away from Shawn knowing that if she saw his lips or hair, she'd jump his bones again.

"I thought you'd been joking earlier. Why didn't you say something before we had sent out all the invites? My family is already on the way and all our friends... And the hotel rooms that we've booked? Not to mention the catering, the flower orders – "

"That's exactly why I didn't say it then." Shawn insisted. He looked serious and Juliet sat up straight. The cheery vibe was gone. With the sun setting, long shadows crept into the living room, half shrouding his face in darkness.

"I knew you'd have to stop and cancel everything and that would've been the worst thing possible at that point. Jules, listen to me."

He put his arms on her shoulders and she inhaled shakily when she felt his fingers brush lightly over the back of her neck. "I love you. Juliet, I've loved you ever since I had to wrestle that axe away from you and since you accepted my fake proposal, years ago. I don't care how we get married. This ceremony is for you. You said you wanted the cake, the church and your family all in one place to see you walk down that aisle and start up a new chapter with me. You said you wanted to keep your name and defeated my offer of a hyphenated title. That shows that you'll still be you though names don't really matter. And I know that you love me. You've loved me ever since I walked into that cafe and you mistook me for a model. You stole my seat so I had to talk to you and even though you were acting stalkery, you knew I was the one for you."

Juliet had to laugh at that. Shawn leaned in, his eyes sparkling. They kissed for a while – soft ones, peppered over both faces.

"You got me excited about the wedding. I want to swirl champagne in my glass and see the bubbles flutter around it. I want to see you take photos with everyone with that beautiful smile even though you're close to a dead faint. I want to see Gus and Lassi slow dance and who knows? There may be another wedding on the horizon."

Shawn gave her another cheeky smile. She slid her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulders. He pulled her tighter to him and they stayed like that for a while.

"That's the probably the most romantic thing you've ever said. But you got one thing wrong."

"Oh, and what's that?"

She pulled back to look at him clearly, a grin adorning her face. "I fell in love with you when I saw you in the football jersey. The case for Coach Winslow?"

"Sammy Winslow! Yeah, you told me I looked like your ruggedly sexy nephew."

Juliet laughed again. Before anything else was said, the phone rang. Shawn, petulant little character he was, hid his face in her stomach as she reached for the cordless.

"O'Hara and Spencer residence. Oh, hey Carlton. ... No, not much, we're still sorting out some stuff. ... What?!"

Shawn looked up at the outburst. Juliet's eyes were wide, staring at the wall behind him. He turned around for a quick gander before she resumed speaking, "Oh my god! Is he alright?"

"Who's hurt? Is it Gus?"

"... Alright. ... No, I think we can get someone, but we'll just look him up ... Ok, bye."

"What's wrong?" Shawn asked. Juliet put down the phone and turned towards him slowly, "The Father was in a hit and run case."

"Whose father?"

"Father Chris! He was supposed to preside over our ceremony, remember? Carlton just said that they found him on the road. A Prius had knocked him down a couple of hours back. There's no lead. He's in the hospital in surgery."

Shawn frowned, "We should have eloped."

She punched him in the shoulder. "Grab your jacket. We have to go."

"And do what? They won't let you in the ICU, Jules."

She huffed and got up, searching the table for her car keys. She pushed around the worn pamphlets and unopened letters. "Doesn't matter. We'll just check up on him. I hope he'll be on his feet for the wedding."

Shawn shot her a look. "The wedding's in three days. You know what? Let Marsha handle this, she's the Matron of Honor. Oooh oooh! Grab the letters; maybe they've finally replied my Roasted/Grilled Jerk Chicken Recipe Book publication!"

.

Juliet watched Shawn talk to Gus on the phone. He looked much more collected now than before. Amidst the doctors hurrying about and the nurses rushing for last minute supplies, Juliet caught one of them on a break to enquire about the Father.

One of his ribs had pierced his lung. He wouldn't be able to stand let alone conduct a wedding for the next few weeks.

She bit her lip, worrying it with her teeth. The red light above the doors of the operating theatre was still flashing and it was clear they'd have to get another priest for the ceremony.

Juliet flipped open her cell to dial up Marsha. Best to get it down sooner than later.

The dial tone went flat and she sighed, resigning to the waiting lounge at the other end of the corridor.

"Kimonos with fruit prints on them. Gus, there's no way I won't wear one. Can you imagine the cash rolling in with that? What about you?... Spoilsport! Man, it's drag! Oh wait, Jules' here. Gotta go, love you, banana bread!"

Juliet rolled her eyes. Shawn almost never made sense, but when he did, she discovered a new realm in the Spencer Universe. Nevertheless, she loved everything about him.

"What did the doctor say?" He asked, pocketing his cell. Juliet pulled him into the waiting area to sit down.

"That bad?"

"He's definitely out of commission. I'll Marsha to call in another priest. Shawn, does this feel like a bad omen?"

He gave her a flabbergasted look. "Jules, it was the one thing that we'd shared. Our non-belief in superstitions! Remember those memorable times when we debated with Gus and my dad on how crystals have nothing to do with luck?"

"That was last week."

"And the time when we had established that karma was nothing but our imagination?"

"You broke your dad's porch because of that crystallized pineapple."

"Point is..." Shawn emphasized. "We're realists. Father Chris' only fault was that he believed that idiots behind the wheel care about the pedestrians. It has nothing to do with us."

Juliet closed her eyes and nodded. He continued. "Promise me you won't stress out on this."

"I promise."

"Good. Now say that with a really sinister tone like you want to push me under a speeding bus."

"Shawn..."

"Seriously. I had a nightmare once where you were obsessed with me and married me just so you could add me to your collection of dismembered corpses in your apartment."

Juliet saw the other people in the waiting room turn around and stare at Shawn. They started to move away from him. She smacked his bicep.

.

The next day, Juliet had finished sorting through all the mail. There was no bonanza offer on Shawn's fool of a Jerk Chicken Recipe book, but she found an unmarked envelope with no stamp.

Did someone just put it in their mail box? There was nothing written on the cover. With a little trepidation, Juliet tore it open carefully and pulled out the stiff card, folded once.

Her eyes flew over the words once, twice and then again. She reread it a few times before her legs staggered backwards and she fell on the chair beside the computer table.

_**The person marrying you  
is a serial killer.**_

Her mind was blank for the next furious moment before she crushed the envelope in her hand. Whoever thought playing a joke like this was funny, were about to be flamed if Juliet ever met them.

She threw the envelope into the overflowing dustbin and stared at the card in her hand. The worst eight words of her life flashed like burning pieces of coals. How could someone do such a miserable desperate act? Did they think that the wedding wouldn't go through with existence of the wretched note?

Juliet started to review possible culprits who had an agenda against Shawn and her. Anyone with a reason to hate the pair could have sent the note. Unfortunately, after nearly eight years of service with the SBPD and Shawn's consulting, the number of offenders grew alarmingly high. A good proportion of them would still be in prison. There had been some recent releases, though.

She wondered if anyone would object to her sneaking into the police station to look at new parolees.

"Oh my god, you've turned into Bridezilla."

Shawn's dry humor cut through her tense thoughts and she swivelled around, clasping the note behind her back. She should have thrown it away.

Her fiancé passed her a grin as he stared at the mess in the office room. While their house was not the most organized one, Juliet's study was usually in better conditions than the present. There were scattered papers of rejected forms mostly concerning the formalities for the church wedding. Marsha was supposed to help her throw them out, but she was late. And Juliet had been caught up with the threatening note to start on the clean up.

"Um, yeah the room... I was about to start picking it up." She winced at the weak attempt of pretence.

Shawn looked at her strangely. "What? You look worried. Jules, you're not stressing about Father Chris, are you? Do you want to see him?"

"No, that's okay. I have to... I mean, I remembered that I need to pick something up from the Chief."

"Is it about the hit and run case?"

"Huh?" Juliet wished she could get the worry out of her head. She was a trained detective but a brazen accusation of Shawn being a serial killer was messing with her. "No, it's something else. Not for a case. You know what?"

She gave him a smile, clenching her jaw subtly. "I'll see her right now. You have to go to Cho's place to check on the catering."

"Okay." Shawn said carefully, still watching her. Juliet slipped the note into the pocket of her jeans. Hopefully, the Chief was busy but maybe Dobson or McCarty could help her read through the reports. It had to be someone smart and sly enough to cause problems of this magnitude.

"Juliet, you look like a pineapple about to be sliced under the supervision of Chuck Norris's super duper vision. What's wrong?"

She scowled. Today was not her day.

"Jules...?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that... you were right. The wedding is stressful. I know there's so much to cover and over see and I can't wait for it to be over."

His eyes grew wide. She pocketed her phone, trying to avoid his face.

"Are... are you sure? You want to cancel –"

"No!" She looked at him full in the face. He seemed surprised. "No, we're going through with this. No matter what, we're getting married the proper, socially acceptable way. I don't care about all the bumps we hit, we can do this."

Shawn still looked slightly taken aback. She had probably been over zealous with her outburst, "Alright. Yeah, the socially acceptable way. I'll go to Cho's with Gus. Say hey to Woody for me. He thinks he's getting the bride and groom dolls from the wedding cake and I don't have the heart to tell him that I promised them to DJ Coldcuts."

Juliet forced on a smile. "Aren't you DJ Coldcuts?"

Shawn smiled, nodding slowly. For a second, Juliet thought he looked ominous. "Yeah, but he doesn't know that."

.


	2. Psychoanalysis

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as does the producers of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**The interest in this story is overwhelming. Thank you!**

**.**

**2\. Psychoanalysis**

Something was definitely off about Juliet. She'd been working past her limits on the wedding details. The added worry of Father Chris seemed to be taking a toll on her.

Shawn wished he could do something about that. Maybe he could visit the priest and get an update. Or maybe he could help Lassi with the case. Juliet was probably interpreting it as a bad omen. Shawn would prove her wrong.

"Take a right." He told Gus. The Blueberry turned smoothly after which the driver questioned, "Wait, I thought Cho's was Fifth on the Main."

"Yeah, but I want to drop by the hospital. Jules' been worried about the Father."

Gus frowned. "That's understandable. The Church's street is supposed to be very safe. That's the place with the least number of road accidents accounted for."

"That's not it." Shawn argued, remembering his fiancée's tense expression. "She's not telling me something. I bet it has to do with the hit and run case. I'll visit Father Chris and check in on Lassi to see how the investigation's going."

"Now? Shawn, I need to finish this route! You told me to drop you by Cho's."

"Fine. Leave me at the hospital and I'll walk to the station."

"Once when I left you on a half empty road, you got assaulted and got a black eye." Gus reminded him. "If something like that happens again, Juliet will torch my company car."

Said car slowed down in front of the hospital. Shawn got out and displaced Gus' hesitation with a well worn grin, "Maybe it's time you got a new car. Get a Cranberry."

"You blew up that rented Cranberry, Shawn! You're not getting anywhere near another one."

Shawn pouted. "Why did you park it right next to the explosives?"

Gus set his jaw and drove away.

_Spoilsport_, Shawn thought, walking inside the building. It wasn't as though he had planted the bomb in the red car. Although, having split the Blueberry into halves on the same day did not appeal Shawn on Gus' good side. Luckily, their friendship was worth more than both cars.

Shawn found the doctor who had been in charge of the Father's surgery. He was stable for now. They had shifted him to another room to keep him under observation. No immediate danger.

That was good. He considered waiting around or calling Juliet but decided that he could tell her later in the evening. There was no hurry. Plus, the chances that someone had intentionally wanted to hurt the Priest were low. Working for the church helped one earn a good spot in almost everyone's belief.

But it wouldn't be too over the top to check on the case. Plus, Juliet would feel better if they caught the culprits.

Shawn left the hospital and walked two miles to the station. He had plenty of time to think about a revolutionizing pineapple flavor for Jerk Chicken spicing (one that would work better than the previous ambitions.)

He was just a half a mile away from the police station, when he felt someone watching him. He turned around. The morning was filled with a few loiters, mostly couples, visiting the sparse shops scattered in the area. Nobody seemed to be looking his way.

He thought back to Gus' comment of him being attack while working on the Veronica Towne case.

But that had been in the night. Nobody would jump him in broad daylight, right?

Shawn picked up the pace. The feeling wouldn't leave. Trying not to feel too disturbed by it, he dug his pockets for his phone. Best to call someone to throw off a potential attacker.

Juliet didn't pick up the call. She was probably busy with Marsha. Gus would not answer his phone during his route works. Shawn sighed and dialled up his father.

There were seven rings before Henry picked up the call. "_What is it, Shawn? I'm in the middle of _–"

"Hey Dad. I was just thinking how much I hate pineapples."

There was silence on the line. Shawn thought he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around, his heart hammering. He was alone on the street.

"_Shawn, talk about Hawaii if you think you're in danger_."

Henry was good at picking up clues. Of course, anyone who knew Shawn would realise that something was wrong. He started to walk ahead, "Yeah, well. Hawaiian fruits are much more delicious."

"_Where are you?_"

"Heading for Lassi's place. I'm just around the corner, actually."

"_I'll call the Chief. Don't hang up, Shawn_."

Shawn swallowed. His movements felt stiff. He could still feel a sharp gaze on him. There was definitely someone tailing him.

He continued talking as though nothing was wrong. "Anyway, I was wondering how much would a cake like that cost?"

There was a sudden screech of tyres. Shawn nearly dropped his phone as he looked back. There was no one following. Just a black Prius with tinted windows, speeding towards him.

The car jumped up the footpath, running over a few cycles parked together. Shawn couldn't see the driver, but that didn't matter. Even though his mind was working furiously and his skin felt hot, he stood fixed to the ground.

"Spencer!" Someone shouted from behind. That got him moving. Shawn braced his knees and leaped sideways and out of the way. He hit the wall of the closest building. The car missed him by inches.

Chief Lassiter and a few others came running around the corner. The former took out his gun and aimed at the vehicle, but before he could say anything, the car disappeared down the road.

Shawn groaned. He had not landed well.

"I got the license plates! McCarty, run them down, now! Spencer, it's just road rash. Up you get."

His ankles hurt, but not too badly. Shawn shook his head to assess himself.

Alright, he was almost run over by an unknown assailant. Gus was right. He couldn't escape safely after being dropped off somewhere. If he were superstitious, Shawn would have attributed the attack to karma.

They walked back to the police department. It took a while to get used to the slight burn. He'd probably need ice.

Shawn watched as the others started running around the station. A female officer was nagging one of her co-workers in front of his computer. Two others were rushing around with papers. Lassiter was behind his desk and on the phone with Henry.

And a woman who looked a lot like Juliet O'Hara was leaving the station as discreetly as she could.

Shawn stared from his spot on the chairs. He was right outside the Chief's office and could see all the activity. He had nearly forgotten that Juliet was here. He was about to call her out when another thought crossed his mind. Why didn't she come out to get him along with the others?

He got up (grunting at the flash burn of his ankles) and started walking towards her.

Juliet hadn't noticed him. She hurried down the steps and started walking south. In her beige coat and scarf, it seemed like she was trying on a disguise. Shawn stared after her and then took out his phone. Deciding to fool around, he gave her a call.

In the distance, he saw Juliet, reached into her pocket. She answered, "_Oh hey, Shawn. Did you catalogue all the dishes we'll be needing?_"

"I thought Marsha's supposed to do that. Anyway, I was wondering where you were."

Shawn watched. The sky grew cloudy and the wind was cold. Juliet replied, "_I'm on my way. Just had to stop by the hotel to check on the reservations. Could you pick up some celery from the grocer's? I want us to keep up the salad regiment."_

Shawn didn't respond. Juliet was still walking. She was a tiny figure on the horizon. She was lying to him.

"Yeah. Sure. See you back home."

.

Dinner was a strained situation. Shawn couldn't get it out of his head. Someone had tried to kill him. Juliet was keeping something from him.

They ate quietly at the table. It felt wrong. Just the previous evening, Shawn had been blabbing about fantastical circumstances of the Mentalist episodes and Juliet had been laughing and contradicting him at every turn.

The couple stabbed at their salad. Shawn glared at the leaves. It wasn't even a fulfilling dish. He really hated the 'wedding weight idea.'

"What's wrong?" Juliet asked out of the blue. He saw her staring at him. She looked weary as though he had unpredictable intentions against her. He knew it was the other way around.

What was she thinking? He wondered what she did during the day. Aside from the station, did she go anywhere else? Did she have secrets from him?

Shawn swallowed the stiff food, "Just a little unhinged." He smiled.

She nodded and gave a weak smile. "Uhuh? Anyway, tomorrow will be a busy day. We have to pick up our dresses from Lauren's Boutique and hopefully, Marsha will call about the new Priest. And you have the list of the guests arriving tomorrow. Henry and Gus are in charge of picking them up."

He nodded, looking down at his plate. She was just worried about the wedding. Shawn berated himself. What was he thinking? That Juliet would start hiding things from him? There had to be a reason for her to do that. And it would be a good one.

He sighed and gave her a genuine smile. It seemed to relax her. "Yeah. Two more days, Jules."

He extended his hand across the table and she clasped it, beaming at him.

He was being paranoid. Shawn could see that now. Her actions were hers alone. He had to be a little mature about this. So, it was just a little lie. She was probably just looking into the Father's hit and run case and didn't realise that his dad had called the department to search for him just before his own almost-hit and run case.

.


	3. Psychedelic

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as does the show of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**.**

**3\. Psychedelic**

Juliet couldn't really get enough sleep. She tossed and turned the entire night, watching the lights of cars going past their window. The wall clock _ticked_ tediously. She blinked up at the dark ceiling, rubbing her thumb over Shawn's knuckles.

Shawn was sleeping like a snoring baby. His breathes were deep and unbroken. She stared at his slack face, wondering how a person like him could be framed as a murderer.

_The person marrying you is a serial killer._

She shuddered on the inside. Think of something different... something different.

She couldn't find much into Father Chris' accident. It had been tough enough to sneak into the station with anyone actually registering her. To go through all the files would take hours. There was nothing connecting to another case or any possible leads.

For all she knew, it could have been a drunk who ran his Prius off the road and knocked him to the ground.

Juliet rolled over and got out of bed. Shawn's snoring hitched but got back its pace.

One glass of milk should do the trick. She really needed her sleep. The wedding was so close. Nothing else could go wrong.

While pouring herself the milk, she made her decision. She would not worry about the note. She would not stress over Father Chris. _Everything will go as planned. Nothing bad can happen on the most important and happiest day of my life._

.

Next morning, Shawn looked like himself again. Juliet remembered seeing him tense and rigid during dinner. That had made her think about the note again. As though the Shawn who had been sitting in front of her matched the subject of the note.

But this was her fiancé. And nothing could go wrong as long as they were together and the trust was as palpable and potent as the love.

Even as she thought that, he looked up and smiled. The smile didn't look welcoming.

Juliet stopped in the action of grabbing her purse. They were supposed to pick up the tuxedos and dresses today. Marsha would be meeting them at the shop. They were late.

"What?" Shawn asked. The disturbing look on his face vanished. It was replaced with concern.

She stood staring at him. She could have sworn that there was something wrong in that instant. The entire morning had been filled with intense doubts. Every time Shawn gave her a strange look, she couldn't help but think of the note. Juliet was well aware that he was probably worried about her awkward behavior. As much of a trained detective she was, Shawn was one of the few people who she could not keep secrets from.

_I should tell him about the note._

_What?_ Another voice in her head sprouted up. _That's not done. The note says that Shawn is a serial killer. Logic says that you can't show the note to him. What if he is one and he decides to cut off all loose ends?_

_What about trust?,_ Juliet argued. _I've known him for nearly eight years!_

_He lied to you for a majority of that time. A bona fide psychic he is not!_

_He did that to save him own skin. Not for the intention of hurting anyone, least of all me._

_Exactly, his skin is worth more than you, Juliet._

"Jules?" Shawn sounded worried now. Juliet gave him a tight lipped smile. Great, she had a voice in her head telling her to not trust her fiancé. Unfortunately, the facts pointed out by the voice were hard to ignore.

He had lied to her. He had lied to almost everyone happily. He enjoyed pulling the wool over their eyes. He was amazing at catching the smallest hints and clues and he had once even tried to clean up a crime scene for Gus.

He could have been on the wrong side of the law. In fact, the only thing that supported Juliet's trust in Shawn was the manner in which Henry had brought him up.

But even then, it was clear that if Shawn wanted to escape the law, he could. He was possibly the best candidate to come up with the perfect murder.

Juliet shuddered. Shawn was still watching her. She wondered if he was planning her death.

"Jules? You look pale." He said. He was really good at being anxious. She exhaled and smiled.

Shawn loved her. She loved him. He wasn't like that. He was a normal person with no psychopathic tendencies. How could she even think of him like that?

He stepped forward to hold her hands. She relaxed. He brushed her hair back and they stood, almost nose to nose.

"Are you tired?" He seemed perfectly normal. She liked that.

"Yeah, it's just... look, my hands are shaking."

She watched him turn her palms over, gently. Juliet almost laughed at herself. What had she been thinking? Shawn would never hurt her or anybody.

"It's the stress." He said. He tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears and leaned in for a kiss.

The moment their lips touched, Juliet froze. Her fingers went stiff and she inhaled hard through her nose. He was standing too close. He could strangle her. He could snap her neck. Maybe push her. She would probably hit her head on something on the way down like in the movies. Then Shawn would panic and move her body and spread the evidence around to look like someone had broken in and had murdered her.

He'd get away scot free.

Shawn pulled back, looking confused. "You're not kissing back? What's wrong?"

Juliet tried to relax. _Calm down; don't give away your position._

"It's nothing. Wedding jitters. I'll feel better after the whole thing." She promised him.

He nodded looking uncertain. Juliet was starting to panic. He had found out. He knew that she knew. Someone had sent her the note to warn her. He was going to kill her.

"It'll be a wonderful ceremony. Nothing will go wrong." Shawn wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Three days from now, we'll be on our honeymoon. Two weeks of relaxing under the sun, ocean view from the villa, the whole deal. Did you know? There are tiny flea markets outside the resort? I can't wait to see those flea circuses. Ever since I've seen the dancing fleas on cartoon shows, I've always wanted to see those fleas doing those acrobatic stunts. Should we bring our own microscope for that?"

It was like magic. Juliet calmed down instantly. That was the Shawn she knew and loved. She lifted her head and pecked his lips.

He looked satisfied. They left the house and got into the car, feeling infinitely better about the whole episode. Juliet watched him struggle with the seat belt as she started the engine.

Her phone rang.

"Just a sec." She muttered, looking at the screen. 'Lassiter calling.'

"O'Hara speaking."

Shawn closed his eyes as a way of polite indifference. But she knew he'd be listening in. She hoped Carlton would speak in a lower register.

"_I check the records. Looks like Allison Cowley's still behind bars. Or should I say glass? She was admitted into the Sing Sing Asylum after the trial. No visitors, no outside communications."_

Juliet relaxed. Allison Cowley had been the bait and perpetrator of getting Shawn and Gus almost killed. They'd even met Mr. Yin in the process. If it hadn't been for Yang...

But the troubling news was, if Allison hadn't sent the note as a prank, then who else could have had a vendetta out for Juliet and Shawn? There were several she had arrested, several more Shawn had locked up. It was unsettling. She couldn't send the note for forensics since her own prints would be mixed up with the culprit's from all the manhandling she had done to the piece of paper.

"Alright, then. Did you check up on any recent parolees or anyone else who had been released?"

"_Yes. No one's been free for the past three and a half months. The last familiar face was Carl Dozier. He moved away to San Francisco five months ago. Good riddance_."

Juliet remembered that case. Carl Dozier had been arrested for breaking and entering and for robbery, nothing too strenuous. He had even handed himself to prevent any casualties in a standoff between his father and the police. She didn't think that Carl could do something like this though. She ruled him out.

"That's fine then. Just keep me posted."

"_10-4. Do you think one of these lowlifes will crash your wedding?"_

"Something like that." Juliet turned her head minutely to look at Shawn. His head was leaning against the side, turned away from her. It looked like he was asleep.

"_I'll bring all eight of my home guns for protection. Don't worry, O'Hara. If anything, it's Spencer whose gonna get the cold feet."_

"Thanks," She muttered, shaking her head. She cut the call. Shawn looked up.

"Were you calling about Father Chris?"

She debated on how to answer. "Something like that."

.

Marsha looked pissed. She was Llyod's younger sister and the first person Juliet had found a long-lasting friendship with. Regardless of the age and distance, they found time to talk for hours once a week. There was no one else who could take the place of Matron of Honor.

Apparently, Juliet and Shawn were late.

"You didn't confirm with the caterer?!" She shrieked at Shawn. Juliet muffled her giggles.

They had just left the boutique with all the clothes they'd need. Shawn had grumbled about the monkey suit but a well placed glare from Marsha kept him quiet.

"Honestly, Juliet. You'd think men can follow single simple things, but apparently not! Bless you and your chained life."

Marsha turned her back on them and Shawn stuck out his tongue at her. Juliet elbowed him.

"Right, to business. I've booked another Priest. Same church, same timing. It's luck. Let's hope nothing else falls in the way. You've been keeping up with the wedding diet?"

"_You_ came up with that diet? I should have known." Shawn huffed.

"Yes, it's going great. I feel like I'm glowing." Juliet answered. She felt much happier now than back at the house.

"Please don't tell me you're pregnant." Marsha whispered, opening the door to her car. She had a look of utter horror on her face. With the afternoon sun beating down upon them, Juliet had the sudden urge to laugh.

"What? No!"

"It's too early for that." He agreed. He gave an exaggerated sigh and wiped his forehead.

"Thank goodness. I haven't started to fantasize about your children yet. Try next year, will you?"

Shawn gave a hysterical giggle. "Yeah, sure. Would you like a girl? A boy? Twins? Triplets?"

Marsha looked unimpressed. She turned to Juliet and said, "Good luck."

As she drove away, the couple watched the Mini Van becoming smaller in the horizon.

"Jules, your best friend is mean to me."

She gave a shrug and kissed his cheek. "Sorry about that. She just thinks that I'm rushing into this."

He shot her an incredulous look. "We've been dating for three years."

"I meant the engagement. I think she would have liked a longer engagement. She says people think of breaking up around three weeks after the proposal."

They reached her car and got in. The dresses were carefully packed in the seats behind them and Juliet wondered if Marsha was right. Were they moving too fast?"

"I don't believe that." Shawn replied complacently. "We've had our fights and disagreements in the past and we're still together. Jules, we're getting married because we stuck together despite the problems. Don't focus on the bad parts."

He shot her a glamorous look. "I love you."

She relaxed. "I love you too."

.

Things went downhill after that. The last minute calls to the church were made. Hotel bookings were re-confirmed, Shawn finally visited the catering service, the ceremony party people were talked with and Juliet still found herself on the edge.

Gus would be picking up Shawn that evening. He packed in his suitcases for the trip and Juliet sat on the bed to watch him. He seemed tense again. In the fading light of the late evening, she could imagine him drawing out a butcher's knife from amidst the clothes.

She swallowed. Her gun was in the nightstand drawer. It was closer to him at the moment. Would he do that? Would he use her own gun to kill her?

He zipped up the bag and leaned it upright against the bed. "I didn't realise how many clothes I have. It's all your fault, Jules. You bought me half those shirts. I was perfectly fine with Gus' share."

She forced on a smile. "Well, Gus was complaining. Plus, the shirts I bought you fit you perfectly."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, I think you wear my shirts more often than I do."

"That's only in the morning. You always fling away my blouse when we get into bed."

He pocketed his hands and waggled his eyebrows. "Do I?"

He sat on the bed next to her. Juliet stiffed for an instant, before moving away. "Not now."

He looked confused. "Okay. Jules, you don't look too well."

She didn't feel well at all. He placed his hand on her forehead and then neck. She pushed it away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I told you. Wedding jitters."

He stared at her, frowning. "It's not just the stress. You've been acting weird since yesterday. You've been keeping something from me."

In that instant, her body went on high alert. He was going to kill her. She closed her fists, ready to defend herself.

"I'm not keeping anything from you." She said through her teeth.

Shawn gave a short un-amused laugh, "You look like you're ready to run. What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter! Stop asking me that!" She got up and almost rushed out of the bedroom. She hoped Gus would reach to get him away from her –

His hand closed around her upper arm and he pulled her to face him. She had never seen Shawn look so angry.

"Do I look stupid? I know you've been acting strange. I saw you in the police department. I saw you talk on the phone when I had called. You said you were in the hotel to confirm the reservations but I saw you leaving the department. Why were you lying to me?"

The grip on her arm tightened. She glared at him and yanked away. "You don't have to yell. I can't believe you were following me!"

"I wasn't following you. I was in the station to check on Father Chris' hit and run case."

"Weren't you the one who told me to drop it?"

She knew it. There was something wrong with him. His eyes didn't have the usual happy gleam anymore.

"I thought you were worried about him. I checked in on him in the hospital and then went to the station. Besides, where the hell were you when I almost got run over?"

She stared. "What?"

He sneered. She took a step back. "I was walking to the station from the hospital. A black Prius was doing the re-enactment of Fast and Furious and apparently, I was in the way. My dad had called the department and at least seven officers had rushed out to get me. Even Lassi. So, where were you?"

Juliet breathed hard. Where was she? She had sneaked in, slipping through the doors, with a nod and a smile. Most officers hadn't questioned her and she had kept her distance from the Chief and her partner. The records room had been her destination and she had spent more than an hour sifting through the files to check on any case she had worked closely with Shawn – anyone perp who had reason to go after the two of them. The first on her list had been Allison Cowley, but with her ruled out, there were too many others.

But most of the people arrested had equal reason to hate Carlton, Gus, Henry and several others from the department. Juliet couldn't find anyone who could actually be sick enough to send the note.

_The person marrying you is a serial killer._

Juliet looked up at Shawn. She steeled her breath. "I was looking through the previous cold cases of hit and run. There were a good number of them."

A thought struck her. "Wait! Witnesses said that the car that had hit the Father was a black Prius."

"You're focusing on that? Man, and I thought I had ADD."

"Shawn." She complained, pushing him away and walking towards the couch in the living room. Someone had sent her the note. Someone had tried to run over the Father presiding over their wedding and then someone had tried to do the same to Shawn. Someone was definitely trying to ruin the wedding.

Juliet wondered if she should tell Shawn about the note.

"You know, if you really don't want to get married, why don't you just tell me?"

She looked up shocked. Shawn's face was set in harsh lines. He really was angry.

"It's nothing like that. God, Shawn. You can't think like that! Can we please stop fighting? I don't like this."

"Well, neither do I! Why did you have to lie to me?"

"I didn't want to worry you!"

His shoulders went taut. "That's all? There was nothing else?"

Her chest was heaving. Blood pumped and roared in her ears. The adrenaline rush was powerful and she didn't know if she wanted to run away from him or tackle him to the ground.

Shawn answered for her. He grabbed the tops of her shoulders and the kiss that followed was long, hard and endless.

.


	4. Psychodrama

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as does the show of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**Query (TheShulesLovinPsycho) - **_I just have a question, though- are they living in Santa Barbara? Did Vick move to SF and Juliet stay? Why is Carlton chief?_

**A - I kind of messed up on that scenario. I haven't seen the last episodes of the eight season. So this story is basically set in Santa Barbara. Lassiter's the Chief. Karen Vick is not actually featured in the story. I've assumed Juliet as the head detective for the department. Trout's out.**

* * *

**4\. Psychodrama**

"Dude, I'm telling you. It was like walking in on one's parents." Gus muttered, eyes on the road.

Shawn chuckled. "Oh, don't be Rumpelstiltskin. I know what it's like to walk in on parents and that is nothing how it was with Jules and me. Speaking of which, never talk about my parents in a situation like that. I'll lose my appetite."

"You knew I'd be coming over to pick you up! You planned it on purpose. It's probably the only thing you've ever planned in your life."

"Come on, son! You think I'd do that to you? My buddy, my Gussy?" He reached over to palm Gus's head.

"Shawn! Stop that!"

"You stop that!"

"I'm not doing anything!"

"You're fondling that steering wheel."

"Oh my god." Gus sighed. "It's like arguing with a baseball shooter."

"You mean pitcher?"

"No. And don't distract me. I don't like to talk when I drive."

Shawn smiled. It was definitely different when they were on a case. On the other hand, Gus was a little too fond of his car. Though any time his car was injured, Shawn was mainly to be blamed for.

"Gus, you think Jules' been a little nutty since yesterday?"

"What?"

"Jules. Do you think she's been acting weird?"

Gus gave a shrug. He didn't look too bothered by it. But if he had been in Shawn's shoes, he'd know the situation.

"She seemed okay when we left."

"Yeah, well I had something to do with that."

Gus reached over to smack Shawn's head. The latter ducked and smacked back.

"Stop, stop that, Shawn." Gus wrinkled his nose. "Man, when are you going to grow up?"

"Gus, that timeless question has been asked since I was two. The answer will forever be 'never.' No. No-sir. Niete!"

He started to sing a lost symphony of a violinist.

They pulled into the garage of his house. Gus cuffed his head and said, "Point for me. Now get out. You're ruining the soothing reverberations of the leather. It's custom made and scotch guarded–"

Shawn let out a fake snore.

"Why do I even bother?"

"Because you care. Man, even with me marrying Juliet, you still care. I caught that part of your best man speech. Oh, and I have to say, that was probably the best bachelor's party ever thrown for me."

"You've had only one bachelor's party all your life." Gus pointed out. They walked up to his apartment. Shawn gave up and yawned, stretching his arms, letting out a loud belch along the way. Gus shoved him into the wall.

"Hey, easy there! I've got road rash."

"Shawn, do you know how long it's taken to plan this wedding?"

Shawn snorted, "What? Two weeks. That's not much."

"Exactly. Can you imagine the total stress of doing all the planning and preparation of the entire wedding in just two weeks? Why do you think she's been dropping by the department for normalcy?"

Shawn looked up. "You know about that?"

Gus nodded. He pushed upon the door to the guest's room and waved his hand towards the shelves, "Pillows are in there. I went to the station to pick up the check for our last case and I saw her at her comp. And yeah, she looked relaxed when she was filling out the paperwork. You know cops have a problem with finishing up case work."

Shawn sat down on the bed, thinking hard. She'd been going to the station for days. He never knew about that. Even after the vacation leave, she still went back there. Was she regretting the marriage? Did she think that the engagement was too short?"

"Come on, son. You know that she loves you. I see her looking at the ring. She wants to marry you and I'm just saying it's the stress of the process that makes her go back to the station. It's nothing to do with you."

Gus patted his shoulder. The reassuring the words took away the strain. Shawn gave a half smile.

"Buddy?"

He got up and looked at him. Shawn gave him a grin. "I'm getting married tomorrow."

Gus smiled back. "Yes, you are. And someone just fainted somewhere."

.

Juliet stayed in her house. Alone. That was a bad idea. She couldn't find a comfortable thought to nestle with.

She felt absolutely wretched. Images of Shawn wanting to kill her swam through her mind. The note was horrendous. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Shawn holding a knife, holding her gun, stabbing her, shooting her, strangling her, pushing her off a cliff, out a speeding car, murdering her.

_The person marrying you is a serial killer._

She remembered the stories Shawn had told her about his travels. He'd been on road trips since he'd run away from home. How many places had he hit? Did he leave a body in each town? Did he get away cleanly? Did the people chase him out? Was the police of some remote place in Mexico after him? Did he have a wanted poster mentioning a certain price for his head? How many did he kill? How many mourners did he leave in his wake?

Juliet clutched the sheets, wanting to sob in them. It was all because of that note. Those eight words had ruined her life. She couldn't hold it in.

She was getting married tomorrow.

She cried herself to sleep.

.

Marsha almost shrieked when she saw Juliet's face – bags underneath the red eyes and miserable.

"What the hell is your problem, woman?! Didn't I specifically tell you? No shenanigans with Shawn!"

Juliet groaned and placed her face in her arms. They were in the dressing room in the church. The service was under way to turn the hall into a ceremonial wedding palace. It was already eight in the bright morning. The wedding would take place at eleven. Three hours before she signed up for death. It was the worst kind of cold feet a bride could get.

"I'm sorry, Marsha. I couldn't relax the whole night. I didn't even sleep well."

"It looks like you didn't sleep at all. What kept you up?" She gave her a look.

Juliet shut her eyes tight. Technically, not Shawn. But it was Juliet's horrific version of serial killer Shawn. Now that she was in the church amidst the hustle and bustle of the workers, incoming guests and family, she couldn't believe she had been feeling that way. Shawn could not hurt anyone. He definitely wouldn't try anything untoward Juliet.

Then why did she keep feeling that way all night? She remembered the paralysing effect the night terrors had on her. She had kept imagining a dark shadow creep up behind her, whisper in Shawn's voice and then stab her, once, twice, several times. He wasn't just a murderer in her nightmares, but a psychopath.

Right now, she felt a bit relaxed about the entire situation. It was clear that the note had messed up her head. She'd known him for eight years. She'd loved him for more than three. Nothing would ruin their day, least of all her worries about him being the bad guy.

Juliet had tried to throw away the note, but for some reason, she held onto it. Call her a masochist, but it was an unintentional instinct to hold on to and conquer her fears.

She lifted her head and watched the three mirrors facing her. Her reflections looked more confident than before.

"I'll wash my face. I swear, I'll behave. Come on, Marsha. Your stylist can make me look like a bride, can't she?"

.

Juliet realised that her reflection was the one who looked like the perfect blushing happy bride. She looked beautiful. The white dress shimmered in the sunlight. It was slightly wavy as she moved about. Her garter was tickling the skin behind her knee and she shivered at the slight wind that went through the room.

Marsha shut the window. "Marvellous. And it's almost time."

Juliet picked up her bouquet and practiced smiling at the mirror. Lloyd would be walking her down the aisle. She doubted whether Frank would be able to make it.

It was a mark of her strength. She twisted her engagement ring around her finger. The nightmares from last night had all but dissipated but she still had goose bumps over her skin. She probably should have informed someone about the note.

The note was in the safest place she could think of. At first, she had placed it down her bra, but the more her heart thumped, the heavier it felt against her chest. She replaced it beside her gun in her bag.

She wondered if it wouldn't be too odd to strap the gun onto her leg with the holster. But it probably wouldn't look too good for the guests when Shawn had to remove the garter.

Juliet took another deep breath and exhaled, giving herself the widest smile possible. She was marrying the man she loved. Nothing would go wrong.

"Everything will go as planned." She said out loud. Her reflection looked determined enough to fuel her resolve.

.

The ceremony went fluidly. Juliet had expected someone to cough too loudly or a disturbance from the inner rooms or one of the guests dropping dead or Shawn to whip out a machete and kill everyone in the hall.

Nothing happened. Shawn was the opposite of a psycho. He was half bouncing on his feet, smiling giddily. His enthusiasm made her smile through the entire time the Priest spoke.

They held hands. Shawn whispered, "Your palm is sweaty."

She clicked her tongue, "So is yours."

"It's not sweat. My hand is glowing with the awesomeness that is the priest. I've never seen a nose like his."

Juliet pressed her lips together to muffle her laugh. The priest looked like he hadn't heard it. But Shawn was semi-right. The Father's nose was very prominent as compared to the rest of his mouldy features. He had kind eyes which reassured Juliet but the moment Shawn had pointed out the nose, she had to work hard to keep her posture during the ceremony.

She slyly turned her eyes towards Shawn. For once he looked at least 90 percent immaculate. The black tux made his shoulders look broader than usual and she loved that. He was clean shaven along with trimmed sideburns and his hair was gleaming with the gel Gus must have convinced him to use to flatten the wild tufts down.

He caught her glance and winked. She blushed as she heard the end of the priest's words.

"... pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Juliet turned happily, watching him as Shawn lifted the veil out of the way.

A shadow fell across his face. Just like the previous evening, she froze, but it was only a brief second.

Shawn's face was normal and happy again. He leaned in, closed his eyes and kissed her. She responded almost robotically.

.

Her fears were fluctuating with the strangeness. She was starting to feel nervous again. There had to a reason why she felt like this. The morning had been relatively customary but the moment she thought there was something off about Shawn, Juliet was plagued with the repeated nightmares.

"You look nervous." Shawn murmured. He twirled her across the dance floor along with the other couples. She had done her best to hide her terrified expression through the first few dances, but it was slipping.

She hid her face in his lapel. "Just a little tired."

They swayed to the song. Juliet could hear the others talking and laughing. She slid her hands up to his neck to pull him down for a soft kiss. It was to avoid saying anything else. She hoped the kiss could get rid of her irrational fears.

Flashes went off and it worked. Juliet smiled as she pulled away. Shawn looked at her, amused but responsive, "Not that I didn't enjoy that, but really, what's with the extra affection?"

She shrugged, feeling better already. She was so over these mood swings. "If you'd like I could plant a big one on Gus. May be he wouldn't question me."

Shawn leaned until their foreheads touched. His hold on her waist became natural and she giggled at his expression.

"Joking." She sang. He shook his head and kissed her again.

.

By the time all the festivities were done with, the rice shower was rampant over the newly wed couple as they rushed to her car. The last people Juliet saw before climbing into the Convertible were her mother, Lloyd and Henry. Carlton stood off to the side with Marlowe, all smiles. Everyone looked to be in the celebratory mood.

She blew them a kiss and waved. It was surreal. This was happening. She was Juliet O'Hara, wife of Shawn Spencer.

She smiled as they pulled away from the grounds in front of the church.

"We're married." Shawn said as though to convince himself.

Juliet nodded, "I know the feeling."

The sun set as they turned on one of the National Highways, bound for Resort Vermont, their honeymoon spot for the next two weeks.

…


	5. Psychotic

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as does the show of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**A/N: All OOCs shall be explained by the end.**

**.**

**5\. Psychotic**

Linkin Park played through the speakers. It wasn't a honeymoonish song by a long shot, but with the way Shawn sang the lyrics out loud, Juliet didn't argue. He definitely had a voice to match the electric guitar.

She was glad that it was all over. The wedding, not the song. It hadn't been so prominent then, but now as they flew down the highway at seventy fifty miles an hour, Juliet had a nagging feeling that she had been watched all through the ceremony and after party.

It must have been subtle. She did have the slight shiftiness, but it hadn't registered in her mind yet.

"Tell me the truth, wifey." Shawn interrupted. "I break vocal cords better than Chester."

Juliet chuckled, "I have to be biased to answer that, hubby. Chester can definitely rock it."

His mock offended look made her snort. The afternoon was hot on the road but cool in their car. The lack of vehicles along the stretch they were on didn't escape her notice, but it was the start of economic, business and school terms. The Spencer-O'Hara families were probably the only ones who experienced the hefty shift in their lives through the wedding.

"What's the new car smell?" He asked as he changed the radio station. He must have had enough of Chester.

"It's probably pine. I just got it serviced."

"I'd know if it was pine. This one is a little faint. Kinda sweet. I like it."

"I think that's my perfume."

"... oh right. Well, then. How are you feeling?"

Juliet raised her eyebrows. Shawn's voice had taken a complete turn. She kept her eyes on the road, her guard going up. Something felt wrong. "Are you talking about the wedding?"

He gave a sigh. "Yeah. Gus told me how stressful it was to put together the whole thing within two weeks. I didn't know it was that hard."

She relaxed, "That? Well, it was rushed, but I think it went great. Nothing out of line. No guest died. Everything ended well."

Shawn turned towards her, a look of surprise on his face. "_No guest died?_ What? Were you expecting someone to keel over?"

"I was thinking of a worst case scenario."

He nodded. She could sense him being doubtful. "Yeah, that would be pretty bad. I kinda thought that a worst case scenario would be you leaving me at the altar."

He laughed at his words and she went along with him. Her heart was beating fast. It felt like he was building up the moment to ask her about the note.

But he couldn't know about it. No one knew about the note. She hadn't told anyone.

She went cold. What if... he had gotten a note himself? What if the same person who had warned her sent a message to Shawn saying that she knew something and was keeping it from him?

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened till her knuckles hurt.

"What's wrong?" His voice was soft. He was looking at her. There was something in his eyes that Juliet couldn't understand.

She changed tactics by smiling, "You thought I would leave you at the altar?"

Shawn didn't laugh. Juliet swallowed and looked ahead. The mirages on the hot asphalt in the distance contrasted with the cool air in the car. She was starting to sweat.

She imagined Shawn to reach into her purse to take out her gun. She imagined hearing the bullet shoot out into her head.

He frowned. Juliet inhaled sharply and said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're acting weird again."

She wanted to scream. He was the one driving her insane.

"I'm fine."

"Are you serious? Don't go all Harry Potter on me, Jules. If you're really tired, I could take the wheel –"

"And drive us off the road? Go somewhere secluded where no one can hear us? Somewhere without cell signal?"

Shawn stared. Juliet bit her lip. He was going to find out.

"What are you talking about?"

Her head was hurting. She hated the game he was playing. It was starting to look clear that he knew something about how she felt, but the way he still kept pretending to be in the dark was really starting to bug her.

She glared at the windshield, "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."

He looked back at the road still frowning, "No, I don't. I'm not a mind reader."

"No, you're a psychic, aren't you? At least, you're damn good pretending at pretending to be one!"

Shawn stared at her. The line had been crossed. Warning bells rang in Juliet's head. She wondered if she should stop the car before they started fighting.

"What are you on about? Why are you so aggressive?"

"Me? What's with all the questions? I told you that I'm fine."

"If this is fine, I'd hate to see you aggravated."

"Oh ha ha. That's so witty, Shawn."

"You've been like this for the past few days. What've you been up to?"

That made her slam on the brakes. The car swerved to the side and screeched to a halt. Juliet swore she saw steam rise up from the tyres. But she was far past caring about the way she looked. The questions had hit a nerve and she was on the last one.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"There is nothing wrong with me! Why do you keep suspecting me?"

Shawn glared at her. He rubbed his shoulder from where the seatbelt had pulled. She felt her chest hurt too, but she kept the furious eye contact.

"You're hiding something." He said in a self-possessed tone. "And it's taking a toll on you. Why is that, honey? What's going on?"

She didn't back down. There was a flash of rage in Shawn's words and she could see that he was starting to lose it. Well, if he did attack her, she had a gun.

"You know what? I think I know why you're so inquisitive. You think I'm hiding something from you." She could hear the smugness in her voice. She saw his ire heighten.

"I know you're hiding something from me."

"Tell me something, Shawn Spencer." She almost smirked with the reaction to her diction. "You were on your little road trip for nearly ten years before you came back to Santa Barbara. Was there something you were up to? Did you develop a new hobby? I'm very interested to know how you spent a decade on your Norton."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's the reason why all the problems started! What have you been keeping from me, Shawn?"

"You're the one with secrets!"

Juliet's nostrils flared, her eyes dilated. Her vision turned red. Shawn seemed to respond to her anger. He grabbed her neck (she thought he was going to strangle her) and pulled her into a forceful kiss.

She grabbed his hair and pulled. The gel coated her fingers and the intensity of their movements was an excellent release for her pent up frustrations. She pushed herself out of her seat and over the gear, onto his lap.

The air conditioning was moot. Not registering how much time had passed, Juliet just went with the flow. Her instincts were all over the place and so were her hormones.

There was nothing sweet about it. Shawn exhaled. The air was hot over her face and neck and she couldn't remember breathing well enough. Trying to keep track of where his hands touched, where his lips were, Juliet's nails sank into his upper arms, her mouth deftly finding his. The radio blared out Dancing Queen by ABBA. Shawn blindly groped for the dials to turn it off.

She twisted her body to remove his jacket and he pulled her neatly piled hair out of its bun. Without the music, the sounds were their heavy gasps and moans.

It took her a while to realise that something was seriously wrong.

Was Shawn trying to distract her?

She felt a cold shiver down her spine which had nothing to do with him leaving hickeys over her neck. Juliet opened her eyes and pushed him away from her, panting heavily and trying to process what had happened. He frowned at her, red lips, deep breaths. She had to get away.

She clumsily reached for her purse (definitely not going to leave her gun near him) and pulled on the door handle to climb out of the car.

"What... where are you going?" Shawn yelled watching her stumble away from her Bug. It had to be a hundred degrees outside. She could see heat waves rising from the road. The late afternoon was merciless.

"Getting away from you!" She shouted. Couldn't he see that? There was something terribly wrong with the situation. Juliet wasn't sure what but it had to do with them.

Shawn nearly tripped as he got out of the car. His hair stuck at odd angles from all the yanking she had done. Unconsciously, she smoothed down her blouse and jeans. His clothes seemed like he had tried them on in an inebriated state.

"Tell me something." She stopped. She had to know. "Tell me if you did anything bad during your ten years away from Santa Barbara."

He spread his arms, looking irritated, "What does that have to do with anything?"

He was still moving away from the topic. There was clearly something hidden there. She clutched her purse tighter.

"It's a simple question, Shawn." She gave her a steady look, trying to compose herself. The heat was horrendous. Her skin felt damp but she held a stoic pose trying to undermine him.

He shook his head slowly as though trying to make sense of things. "I did a thousand things on my run. What are you referring to?"

"Did you ever do anything against the law?"

"Jules, you're supposed to be my wife not my parole officer! I didn't kill anyone, if that's what you're asking!"

Checkmate, jackass. That was a Freudian slip for sure. She unzipped her purse as subtly as she could.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you didn't kill anyone? Are you sure you didn't leave any witnesses?"

Shawn's jaw went slack and he simply stared at her, at a loss for words. It wasn't often that happened. Juliet was even more convinced of her conclusions.

"I did not kill anyone. I never got into a fight not even a bar fight! What's wrong with you? Why are-"

"I got a note." Juliet said.

He went still. She almost smiled even though it was a humorless situation.

"What note?" He sounded afraid.

She levelled her chin. "A note accusing you of some very damning things, Shawn."

His hands shook. She noticed that and reached very slowly into her purse for her gun. She saw him grow angry.

"Who gave you this note?"

"Does that matter? You're reacting in a way a criminal would. That doesn't bode well for you."

"Well, you're acting a bit of a psycho yourself. What does the note say?" He couldn't have stressed the words anymore if he wanted to.

"You can find out in court."

His eyes narrowed at her. He was deadly serious. "Juliet, I'm warning you."

Her breathe hitched. She took a few steps back. She couldn't recall a time when he called her 'Juliet.' It had always been 'Jules'. This hardened it. He wasn't her Shawn. She caught a good grip on her weapon, ready to pull it out if he tried to harm her.

Shawn swallowed. He managed a small chortle. "Come on, Jules. I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm sorry. Let's just... get back into the car. It's too hot for this. I'm sure neither of us wants a heat stroke. We can talk calmly in the car."

Juliet watched his movements. His fingers twitched and his breathing was shallow. It was close to an unbearable hotness and she did want to be back in the cool interior of her car. But then she remembered that the keys were in the ignition. If she hesitated, would Shawn simply get into the seat and drive off? Would he leave her in the middle of the Saharan road?

He tilted his head and gave her his all star smile. She blinked, trying to remain strong. She had to think fast.

"Get in the back seat." She said, jerking her head forwards.

Shawn frowned. "Seriously? Jules, you look tired. I'll drive for a while and let's cross our fingers for a smoothie stall, eh?"

"Shawn, I'm not going to ask you again."

"Why are you interrogating me like a suspect?" He asked, disturbed.

She gave him an innocent look. "Do you feel like that?"

He clenched his fists. "I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing here, Juliet. But I'm not going along with it. Just give it to me straight."

"I thought you wanted to talk in the car." She retaliated coldly.

"I thought you wouldn't keep secrets from me."

"That's rich coming from you."

"That again? I told you, I did not kill anyone!"

"How can I believe you?!" She yelled walking forwards until she was in his face. "How can I trust you when you know how to lie? You could be holding back the truth. How do I know you're innocent?"

"Innocent of what?!"

She sucked in a deep breath. Damn, she could still smell the Axe off of him. The heat only made him sultrier.

Shawn seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He leaned forwards, but this time, Juliet moved away. She wasn't going to let her guard down.

He grabbed her arm. Like last night, she went rigid.

Shawn whispered, "That's enough. Just get in the car." He sounded murderous. She almost laughed hysterically.

"And then what? You'll kill me?"

"You're close."

She saw his clamped jaw, felt his tight grip and watched the solemn look in his eyes. Juliet pressed her lips together and shoved him away as strong as she could. Before he could seize her again, she pulled out her gun and pointed it at his chest.

He froze. "Jules..."

"Don't move." She said carefully. "Shawn, I know you did something. I'm going to call in an investigation and this time, you can't run away. Your time's up."

"You're mad."

"You're the one who threatened me."

"You're the one who's accusing me!"

Juliet shook her head. The ground was spinning. She had just pulled her gun on her husband who was a probable suspect.

"You keep avoiding my accusations. Only the guilty party does that."

Shawn looked at her in disbelief. "Jules, you have to believe me, I didn't kill anyone."

"You've been acting suspicious for days."

"Me? What about you? It's like you were high or something!"

"Get in the car." She said evenly. She had to call Lassiter. She was still clutching her purse, its embellishments digging into her palm. Shawn looked down.

Juliet couldn't believe it had come to this. Just a week ago, she was excited to tie the knot, but here she was, planning to get Shawn arrested. Her handcuffs were in the bag inside the car. She hoped he didn't know that.

Shawn bent down to pick something off the ground. Juliet moved the gun along with him, "What are you doing –"

Her voice died. Shawn was holding the note. The cramped piece of paper with the eight damning words that had ruined everything. It must have fallen out of her purse when she had pulled out the gun.

"Shawn, don't."

"What's this?"

He stared at the paper as though his mind had gone numb.

_The person marrying you is a serial killer._

"Is this the note?"

"Put that down."

"Juliet, is this it?" He shouted. "Someone sends you a random message and you believe it? How can you be so stupid?"

"Shut up! You've been scaring me for the past few days. How can I not believe it?!"

"Put the gun down." Shawn warned.

"Get away from me."

Shawn lunged forwards. Before she could press the trigger, he knocked the weapon out of her hands, pinning them above her head. Her back met the hot road and she could feel the heat burn through her clothes into her back.

They struggled noisily. Juliet bent her arm and pressed her elbow against Shawn's neck, digging in harshly. He let go of her other arm and wrestled to hold both her wrists down. She brought her leg behind him to kick into his back. It worked momentarily. Shawn lost his balance from his arms and fell completely on her. His weight crushed the air out of her lungs. Desperate, she surged forwards with her head which bumped hard into his forehead. He yelped and rolled away.

Juliet balanced onto her feet searching for her gun. She found the note stuck to the underside of her converse but the gun was closer to Shawn. He grabbed it and kneeled, clutching the metal expertly in his palms.

"Shawn." Juliet raised her arms, her fear growing. The heat had dug into her skin and it made her lightheaded.

"On your feet. Now." He commanded. His hands shook slightly. She held onto her car as she stood up.

This was it. She hadn't been farfetched. He was going to kill her with her own gun. Maybe he was the one who was high. Maybe he'd dealt with drugs before but overdosed this time. Maybe he would return to his killing spree, starting with her.

"You ruined everything, Jules." He said softly. She stared at him. His finger was wrapped around the trigger. He could squeeze it at any moment.

"Who sent you that note?"

She told him the truth, "I don't know."

He clicked his tongue, frustration seeping back in. "Didn't you even try to find out?"

"I checked the old police records of the cases we solved over the past eight years. Some names jumped out, but nothing hit me remarkably."

She couldn't believe how stable she felt. Her husband was about to kill her and she accepted it. It was probably because she had finally found out the truth.

"How many?"

He stared. "What?"

She reiterated, "How many people did you kill?"

A slow smile came on his face. Shawn looked amused, "Are we back to that again? I don't think it matters. You wouldn't believe me."

She nodded. He was probably right. He'd lied about being a psychic for years. It would make sense about this as well.

The more she thought about it the clearer it became. Shawn was the perfect fit for the profile of a serial killer. He knew the police hand book word for word. He knew how to use a gun. He had the boyish charm to make people follow his lead. He could lie flawlessly and through his teeth. He knew how to escape from people and avoid capture. His smile opened doors more than brute force could.

"You won't get away with this." She muttered. Shawn had yet to actually shoot her. She wondered what was stalling him.

He lowered his gun by a few inches, looking annoyed, "I'm not going to –"

There was sound that resembled the screech of tyres, just like when Juliet had pressed the brakes on their car. She saw Shawn's eyes widen. He shifted the gun and pointed it to a target behind her. She turned around and saw a black Prius race towards them at a thundering speed.

Shawn shot twice. The bullets made mere holes in the tinted windshield. The couple realised that it would hit them.

Unthinkingly, Juliet grabbed Shawn hand as he did the same. They tried to move away but the car spun around and the side collided with both bodies in a tremendous force.

Juliet and Shawn were knocked off their feet like dolls. They landed on the hot and hard asphalt, bones screaming and flesh burning. The sun blinded her eyes for the next few moments which were crucial. She groaned as the heat seared her from all sides. Her body felt roasted.

She turned her head away, unable to get up. Through the black spots in her vision, she saw someone emerge from the car and pick up Shawn, dragging him towards the Prius. She saw Shawn trying to evade him but his attempts looked as strong as she felt lying there.

She thought they'd get her too. But to her surprise, the doors closed and the car revved up the road, screaming back up the highway.

Juliet was alone. The note was taunting her from its place on the ground. Her gun was gone. She was sure her car was close, but she couldn't get up. Her muscles felt fried and coughed hard. The sun was too hot. She couldn't think straight. They had taken Shawn. Someone took him. She didn't know who or why. Was it the same person who had sent her the note? Did they kidnap him to kill him for his deeds?

Juliet lay there for what felt like hours. Her thoughts were scrambled like eggs in the frying pan. Her mind felt like it was on fire. She didn't know how long she simply lay on the road in the blazing heat. She couldn't reach her purse. She couldn't tell how far away it was. She could barely move her fingers.

The black spots in her sight grew larger until it completely engulfed her. Before she went out for the count, she remembered that Shawn had lowered his gun. He hadn't been about to shoot her. Would he have turned himself in? And the Prius. It had matched the description of the car that had injured Father Chris. Was that related?

The questions swirled around and the confusion was all she could feel before she blacked out.

...


	6. Psychosis

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as do the producers of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**.**

**6\. Psychosis**

Shawn's body did not appreciate the sudden and stark contrasts in temperature. First, it had been in an inferno. Then, it was cool like a cucumber. Now, he was in a stuffy closed off place, his hands duct taped behind him and a blindfold over his eyes. There was no gag. He was grateful for that. He couldn't breathe properly and the loud and embarrassing sounds made from him sucking in the air through his mouth were cringe worthy.

But he was sure he was alone. He didn't know how long he had been left in the darkness but Shawn knew for sure that the fog that had been in his mind had disappeared.

It had taken a while though. His fight with Juliet had made him boil like the weather outside the car. He didn't know why, but now, looking back on it, he was sure that the pair had been drugged. Juliet would never have suspected Shawn like that. She would never have doubted him.

_The person marrying you is a serial killer._

He shuddered remembering those words. He had never killed anyone. He was quite sure Juliet's track record included only Julien Drake. What kind of sicko would send a disturbing message like that to her? Someone who wanted to break up the engagement, obviously. But it hadn't explained Juliet's behaviour.

Shawn twisted his fingers inside to keep moving the duct tape. Hopefully, he'd be able to break the tape before he broke his wrists.

He didn't know why everything happened. He had been fighting with Juliet. And not a simple argument – a full blown, hands down fight which involved a gun.

He had been so close to shooting her. He must have been high. There was no other explanation as to the way he had hurt her. There was definitely a logical reason for why they acted in such an irrational way. There also had to be a reason why someone would take the pains to abduct him and then leave him in a deserted spot for hours.

Shawn couldn't hear the sounds of city life. It smelt cold and damp. His overheated skin welcomed that but he couldn't help but fret about Juliet. She had been moving even less than he after the car had hit them. Lying underneath the sun on the hot road could damage her internal organs and suffocate her mind.

He swallowed. His throat was parched. He tried to move again when he heard the creak of a door with rusty hinges swinging. There were sounds made by the scuffing of footsteps. It felt like a man with a light tread.

Shawn cursed the blindfold, wishing he could see his captor. His mouth felt useless. He was too dehydrated to make any legible noise for conversation.

The unknown assailant stopped right next to Shawn. He heard the click of a gun.

"Shh." The man said. He reached down to grab Shawn under the arms. With a heave, he started to drag him across the floor. Shawn tried to move away, but he seemed to have lost all strength. It felt like he had blacked out, but he could faintly remember being lifted away from the ground. In a few minutes, he was sitting awkwardly on a chair and groaning. There were some other sounds that echoed around the room.

Okay, Shawn thought. Echoes meant a large area. No city noises. He was somewhere on the outskirts of any urbanisation in what he guessed as an abandoned place.

Suddenly, there was a sharp metallic sound. Shawn held his breath. It sounded like a pocket knife. Before he could even try to think of a way out, his abductor cut the ropes binding Shawn's hands. Then he took off the blindfold.

A flashlight was immediately held to his face. Shawn whimpered. The light blinded his strained eyes and overtired mind.

There were some other sounds of something large opened. The last thing Shawn felt was him being lifted again and pushed inside a small space. He heard the flap shut and felt a cold breeze flit through his body. He shuddered, losing consciousness.

* * *

When Juliet came to, she could hear an electrical beeping noise that coincided with her pulse. She was lying on a soft bed. Her skin felt partially numb. Her throat ached for water.

She was in a hospital. That much was clear. She blinked a few times to clear the spots in her vision. The room came into clarity.

The skin on her arms had the look of a harsh tan. They seemed to hurt too, but she couldn't be sure of that. Her fingers and toes felt stiff. Her eyelids were heavy, urging her to go back to sleep.

"Julie? Honey?" A soft voice called from beside her. She turned her head slowly and saw her mother stand to her right, an expression of worry and relief on her face.

"..." She couldn't make a sound. Maryanne's hand flew to a paper cup sitting on a tray beside the cot and she held a straw between her lips.

The cold water was incredibly blissful for her insides. She sighed happily, sucking in as slowly as she could. The water seemed to clear her head and increase her awareness. She looked up at her mother, more awake.

"Do you want some more?"

She shook her head. Her mother smiled and set down the cup, placing her hand on Juliet's cheek very carefully. It was sensitive to touch but she leaned in feeling much better.

Then a thought came to her. "Shawn?"

Maryanne's face fell. Juliet looked up in alarm. What was wrong? Why did her mother...?

Oh... oh god.

She remembered what had happened. It came back to her. The fighting. The shouting. The gun. The note.

The car.

"Mom." She whispered. "They took Shawn!"

"I know, sweety. It's going to be okay. Chief Lassiter already has a search team to pick up on the trail. But you need your rest."

"He's hurt."

"So are you. And you won't be helping him if you strain yourself. You've been here for only ten hours. The doctor said you need a full day's rest before you can start walking around."

Juliet closed her eyes and leaned back. Everything had gone wrong. She couldn't believe she had pulled a gun on her husband. What had she been thinking? Why did she act like that?

"A couple of teenagers found you on the road. They got you to the hospital. The doctor said that you have mild hyperthermia. They had to put you in a cold water tub for a few hours."

Mild hyperthermia? "Heat stroke?" She asked.

Her mother nodded. "Are you feeling better now? Does it hurt anywhere? I can call a nurse."

Juliet's head spun. "Water."

After draining two more cups of cold mountain H2O, she heard a commotion outside. It sounded like two someones were in a heated discussion. Her mother sighed. "I think that's the Chief."

It was. Lassiter stormed in the room looking majorly ticked off, but it turned into a look of surprise when he saw his detective awake.

"O'Hara! Good to see you! Can you talk?"

"Chief." Maryanne complained.

"A little." She whispered. "Shawn?"

"We're doing everything we can to find him. But we need to –"

The door opened and a man in a doctor's coat rushed in. "I'm sorry, Detective –"

"It's Chief of Police." Lassiter half-snarled.

"Yes, but the patient needs her rest. At least a few hours of sleep will show a marked improvement."

"It's okay, Doctor." Juliet said, her voice cracking. She nodded at Lassiter to continue.

He gave the doctor a smug smile and said, "We'll need a statement, O'Hara. Of everything that happened after you left the party."

She looked up at him, troubled. She had to come clean. Her mother held her hand tightly as she said, "Actually, Carlton, it started before that. It began with the hit and run case of Father Chris."

Before she could continue they heard sounds of another altercation outside. A few people argued but the loudest voice was that of Henry Spencer saying, "Sorry, godammit! But this is important. Move!"

The door to her ward opened and Gus ran in followed by Henry, both looking as though they had raced for miles.

"Lassiter! Forensics were just finished... Juliet! You're awake!" Gus surged forwards as though to hug her. Instead he just caught her arm. "How's your vision? What about your irrationality? How does it feel to be here?"

She stared at Gus who was half way to a state of panic. Her mother got up from her chair and guided Gus into it, patting his shoulder as he took deep breaths.

"What?" She asked looking from him to Henry. The man was stone-faced and he said stiffly, "CSU just finished processing your car and your house, Juliet. It matches what the doctors found in your blood."

She stared, still not understanding. Her mother gasped. Lassiter swore and Gus groaned, dropping his head into his palms.

"I don't understand."

Henry handed her the file he had been holding. She took the thin manila and flipped through the papers. It had a record of everything found that should not have been found in her house and car. **LSD**.

"There were fading traces of a hallucinogen in your blood. CSU found the same substance in the vents of your house and in the air freshener in your car." Henry explained.

"How potent is it?" Lassiter asked, scowling at the file.

"Lysergic acid diethylamide." Gus elaborated. "LSD is very compelling. If inhaled for more than an hour or so, it can cause serious delusions, hallucinations and heightened sensual awareness."

Well, that explained how Shawn and Juliet made out solidly after a heavy argument, twice – once in her house and the second time in her car. She sat up slowly and carefully, holding on to one of the metal rungs of the hospital bed.

"I haven't been entirely truthful..." Juliet said.

She told them everything. Starting from the Prius, the note, her strange behaviour and ending with the fight and the Prius again. The more she talked, the more it helped her to make sense of things.

Someone had taken the Father out and slipped her the note to ruin the wedding. That same someone had to be the kidnapper.

"Juliet!" Her mother sounded shocked. "Why didn't you tell anyone about the message?"

"That's a legitimate threat to a detective. We can register it. I think we have that note from the crime scene. We'll check up on that. Any hope to see you up on your feet by tomorrow, O'Hara?"

"Chief..." Juliet's mother looked angry. Lassiter backed down. "Right, two days will be enough."

"I'm sure your department can work, for once without my daughter, in finding her husband." Maryanne threatened.

Juliet almost smiled. Her mother could put forward her word if wanted to. Though she preferred to be mild mannered, when the time called for it, Maryanne was a force of nature.

"I... yes, of course. On your time, O'Hara." Lassiter nodded.

"Wait! Any other leads?"

"None, but I'll check up on the Father's hit and run case and connect it to this. It's been nearly eleven hours since Spencer's missing, we have to hurry up."

Henry stopped him. He had a frown and his fist clenched as he thought hard. "Just a second. I think I remember something about a cold case from a few years ago. It sounds like the same M.O. There was a wedding where the bride received a threatening note. I don't remember the details though. Definitely out of our jurisdiction."

"I'll get right on it."

.

Juliet signed out AFFMA. As in, Against Family, Friend and Medical Advice. Her body smarted with every step and she knew she was a walking poster for terrible tanning booth advertisements. Her hair was pulled back away from the skin of her face and neck, she wore lose cotton clothes and her mind was set. She had to find Shawn.

And if she had to kill someone on the way, so be it. Her gun, it was assumed, had been taken by the culprit. No worries, she could simply strangle him.

When she entered the familiar building of the police department, several officers stood, stunned, watching her. She shot them a glare and they hurried back to work. She walked straight into the Chief's office.

The moment she entered the room, Lassiter said, "O'Hara, you're too close to this case."

"Save it, Carlton. Nobody wants to catch the S.O.B. who took my husband more than I do." She snapped.

"You may want to wait in line." Henry called from the other side of the room. He gave her an unhappy look. "Your mother called, by the way. She kept complaining."

"I told her..." she trailed off and sighed. Shawn was her priority. Her mother knew that. As dangerous as the case was, Juliet wasn't going to back out.

Gus, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, looked up from a file he was reading. There had been times when he looked deadly serious before and all of those situations involved someone close getting into a perilous case, it was usually Shawn.

Lassiter, Henry and Gus shared a solemn look before latter got up and gave her the file he had been looking through. She frowned at the wariness in his face and looked down at the papers.

It was a 2008 Missing Persons report. Unsolved. Juliet went through the synopsis. Samantha and Carlos Vasquez mysteriously disappeared during their honeymoon. Last people to have seen them were some of the hotel staff where they had stayed a few nights. The newlywed couple had never checked out. The window had been opened, the room was left trashed and one of the key pieces of evidence had been a piece of paper left behind.

The bride, Samantha, had two friends who confirmed that Sam had received a note which made her fear her husband, Carlos, for some reason. They never knew what the note had said.

Juliet stared at the photo of the note found in Vasquezes' hotel room.

_**The person you  
are marrying is  
a serial killer.**_

Juliet inhaled sharply. She went over the words again and again.

"It's different." She whispered.

"Yeah. We're not sure why this note is different from the one sent to you, but it's definitely connected." Lassiter muttered.

She looked up the three men were looking at everything in the room except for her. They seemed to be avoiding her. They weren't doing a very good job of it.

"What?" She asked, feeling angry again.

Gus made a choking sound like he was holding back a sob. "Turn the page, Juliet."

She didn't want to. Whatever Gus was afraid of in the file, she wasn't sure she wanted to know about it. But she had to. They had to find Shawn.

She went on to the next page in the file and stared. A shock went through her system.

There were two photographs. One of the bride and one of the groom. And they looked exactly like Juliet and Shawn.

Aside for the hair, Sam and Juliet seemed as indistinguishable as Carlos and Shawn. Sam had longer, straighter brown hair while Juliet was a blonde. Carlos had neat and wavy tufts whereas Shawn had the spiked up careless do.

Leaving the hair, the couples were practically identical.

"What the hell?" She said, looking up.

Lassiter stood up, as agitated as the others, "We don't know. We checked all case files from the surrounding counties for similar modus operandi as the note and this was the only one registered in the database. The couple are very real. But nobody knows where they are, or if they're dead or if Carlos killed his wife."

"But why do they _look_ like us?!"

Lassiter seemed to be at a loss for words. Henry spoke up. "We called up the police department from LA to verify the couple. They are real people, no plastic surgery, no voodoo black magic. We don't know why they resemble you and Shawn, but they do. We have to track them down if we can't find any other leads to our case."

Juliet sat on one of the chairs beside Gus, "What about the Prius?"

Lassiter shook his head. "Dead end. No one knows anything about a black Prius leaving town. You were attacked on the Highway. If the kidnapper left, then it'll be harder for us to track them down."

"Shawn's phone?"

"It was lying on the road next to you."

Juliet swallowed. His phone must have fallen out of his pocket when they had fought.

The desk phone rang. Lassiter snatched it up, "SBPD Chief speaking."

Juliet read the details of the missing couple. Sam and Carlos. Whirlwind romance. Shot gun wedding. Suspected pregnancy – not confirmed. The note. Carlos' guarded behaviour during the after party. The guests had remembered seeing them fight. The bridesmaids – Kelli and Ruthie – had given evidence of how Sam had called her brother and left a voice message indicating her suspicion of Carlos.

The strangest thing had happened when the couple had left for their vacation. They had seemed absolutely normal. No trace of fighting. It had confused Sam's friends.

Juliet bit her lip, trying to put the pieces together. To her, it seemed like Carlos had found the note in the hotel room and had gone into a frenzy, kidnapping his wife and somehow, escaping the place without anyone knowing.

Carlos' background information backed her up. He had lost his parents at the age of sixteen and had never really recovered from that. His uncles had sent him to a rehabilitation centre to help him hold onto reality. It had taken him years.

She stared at the photos. It was scary. It was uncanny how Carlos looked like Shawn, yet at the same time, she could see the minor distinctions. The way he smiled, the locks over his head – it was all different.

"What is it?" Henry asked. Juliet started. She thought he was speaking to her.

Lassiter set down the phone slowly, "Father Chris woke up. That was the hospital. The doctor said that he was ready to talk about the car that hit him."

.

The hospital room was even quieter and seemed darker than how her ward had looked like. The Father looked old and weary and Juliet felt guilty for keeping him awake, but he was the one who had called them.

"Father?" She called out carefully.

He blinked up at her and said, "Eh?"

"Father." She said in a loud voice. "What can you tell us about the car?"

At first he looked confused, "What car?"

The four of them stared at him. Gus leaned in. "The car that landed you in the hospital. Do you remember, Father?"

Juliet waited on tenterhooks. Could he have forgotten already? Could they be that unlucky?

"That black car! Oh, yes. I remember bits and pieces." He nodded, suddenly looking energetic even though he was in a thin dress and attached to wires.

Juliet stood up straight and groaned silently at the pain that coursed briefly through her back. "Do you remember the driver?"

"No."

"The license plate?"

"No."

Henry frowned. "Then what do you know?"

The patient exhaled leisurely and then looked up at the window. "It looked new."

He fell silent after those three words. They waited for a few minutes before Lassiter started to lose his patience.

"Father, do you remember anything more useful to help us with the case?"

The old man closed his eyes as though he were exhausted.

"Father, please." Juliet begged. She couldn't take it anymore. "Please tell us what you know. A man is missing. We need th –"

"Rented."

Juliet stopped. "What?"

"It was a rented car. I saw a sticker with the logo from Santiago's."

Gus stood at attention. "Santiago Rentals? That's just a few blocks from here."

.

Almost thirty hours ago, she was getting married. Now, Juliet was standing inside the showroom for four-wheeler rentals. Alfred Santiago, the owner, looked surprised at the interrogation.

"Most of my vehicles are second-hand, but I assure you, they're first rate in condition." Santiago spoke with a hint of an Australian accent in his tongue. He was a slightly portly man, in a crisp business suit. He waved his arm a lot as he talked. "Are you trying to tell me that someone is using my car to knock down people?"

"And for kidnapping." Henry replied, un-amused. "We need a log of all your black Priuses, right now."

"Look, they have a Cranberry for rent." Gus murmured checking out a gleaming dark red Echo, much like Gus' Blueberry.

"Oho! You interested, fella?"

"The log book." Lassiter sneered.

Santiago heaved a sigh and called in one of his employees. A younger man rushed into the large showroom with an iPad. He scrolled down the lists and stopped at a page.

"There's just one black Prius rented out at the moment."

Juliet had a grim smile. "Perfect."

.

It took them a while, but the company was able to remotely switch on the transponder in the Prius. The moment they got a signal, Lassiter assigned the officers into two teams. The signal led them into an abandoned (figures) warehouse at the periphery of Santa Barbara.

The territory was long own by a family named Austen, but was shut down years ago. The car could be seen from a distance. It was parked next to the building, half concealed in the shadows of the warehouse. The sun was setting and their time was running out.

The rusted gate was open and several officers trickled in, wearing their Kevlar vests over their uniforms. Juliet gripped her borrowed gun as she donned on her vest. It pulled at her tender skin and muscles, but she gritted her teeth and latched it on anyway. For Shawn.

"Alright, listen up. I want express mobility and clean check-ups in all rooms. Alternative routes, team by team. Go in pairs, have each other's backs and let's hope we get our guy." Lassiter commanded, holding up his gun. He then glared at Henry and Gus to stay put.

Everyone knew that they wouldn't.

Juliet followed one of the officers into the deserted grounds. It was open lands and nobody could hide there. Everyone stopped as Lassiter checked out the Prius. He made a waving motion with his left hand – continue with the search. The car was empty.

She held her weapon tightly. Nothing would catch her by surprise this time. If she saw the captor, he would have bullets in his body.

They searched every inch of the halls. Though the warehouse was definitely for long time storage space, there was nothing stored. The officers started to climb up the stairs to check the empty place. Three floors in total.

Juliet turned back to see Gus and Henry following the others. Henry seemed to be scanning every surface available to him. He didn't have Shawn's gift, but was not lacking in the deductive department.

"O'Hara!" One of the officers hissed. Juliet raised her gun automatically. Officer Leary pointed at a miniature box mounted on the wall. It was an electric meter. The needle was twitching.

"There's electricity here." Juliet whispered. She signalled to Lassiter, who was on the ground floor to reach the second landing.

"I have your back." Juliet told the officer. The latter nodded and took a deep breath. Both women stalked into the small room. It was desolate except for a large container pushed to the wall. Juliet watched the faint lights below the container and advanced towards it.

"I think it's an ice chest." Leary mumbled. Juliet clutched the gun tightly. The warning bells rang out in her head. Cold sweat gathered over her sun burnt skin. She grabbed the lid of the container and tugged. It was heavy and clearly hadn't been used in a while. She exerted a little more pressure and was able to pull it up and swing it over.

And then she looked inside. Her hand let go of the top. It fell against the wall with a resounding thud.

Amidst the white cold mist was a body underneath the thick ice. It was Shawn.


	7. Psychopath

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as do the producers of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**A/N: You should watch Fear Itself. At least the episode I'm referring to. Over the top, but chilling.**

* * *

**7\. Psychopath**

"It's not Shawn. It can't be." Henry muttered for the fifth time. "I know my son is alive."

Juliet sat on the floor, her back to the corroding wall. She closed her eyes trying to hold back the burning sensation in her head. Gus needed an oxygen mask and it was lucky that the coroner's team had a machine.

Woody was busy examining the ice container. Lassiter was shouting on his phone. Some of the officers had to stay back trying to calm down Henry who had thrown a fit at the sight of his son. It had taken a while for him to sit down and process it.

She opened her eyes and saw two men, methodically trying to break the ice over Shawn's face. His skin looked paper white as if he had no blood in him. His eyes were shut but she could imagine the hazel irises with the lack of a snarky gleam in them. He was gone.

"I don't care!" Lassiter yelled at the unfortunate person on the other end of the line. "There was another set of tyre tracks next to the Prius. I want to know where the son of a bitch went after he left the car here!"

Juliet felt a shuddering gasp roll through her. It was finally hitting her. She dropped the gun and let the sobs wrack through her body. She started to shake badly when a set of arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him. She laid her head underneath Gus' chin, letting him hold her. She felt her heart break into pieces. She wanted to scream.

There was a sound of glass shattering. Henry must have put his fist through the window again. Juliet wondered what Shawn would've said about that. Something silly and funny. Something that would have definitely made her roll her eyes and look at him with exasperation. She made a fist into Gus' shirt.

"Oh wow!"

Woody's voice echoed around the room. Juliet glared beneath her eyelids. His colleague was dead but the coroner could still see an invisible, non-existing light-side to the situation.

"Hey, guys. I think you can cool your horses. This isn't Shawn."

Juliet's head snapped up. Everyone else stared along with her. There was complete silence in the room; the tension and grief was dissipating into hope.

"What?" Gus question was barely audible.

Woody nodded, smiling like a senile man. "He's not Shawn."

Henry let out a bellow. "I TOLD YOU!"

Juliet pulled herself from Gus and stood on shaky feet. She could barely believe it.

"Are you certain? Strode, if you're messing around, I swe –"

"Chief." Woody held up a petri dish which contained some of the ice from the container. "I checked it out. Most of the ice was formed more than five years ago. This man has been dead for that same amount of time. This isn't Shawn."

Gus let out a series of hacked up coughs. He grabbed for the oxygen mask again.

"It's Carlos." Juliet whispered. She walked forwards to look at the body. The arms were folded on the top. There was a peaceful expression on the face. There was nothing to indicate to the naked eye that it was Carlos Vasquez and not Shawn Spencer, but Juliet sniffed and rubbed her eyes, confident of Woody's job.

"Carlos?" Woody asked. "Nice name. Well, Carlos was stabbed. Multiple times. He definitely wasn't popular."

Henry sat down on the ledge of the window sighing heavily. Lassiter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Juliet could sense the intense amount of relief in the room. She felt stronger. She sniffed again and reached down to pick up the gun.

"We have to find out who put Carlos here." She said out loud. "Leary, check up on the company that keeps the electric meter and find out who pays for the ice box. Woody, how long will it take to get the body back to the lab for further analysis?"

"Not long. Twenty minutes, tops. I love solving cold cases." He replied as his co-workers continued to defrost the container.

.

Back at the station, Lassiter held a meeting for everyone. He pulled up the projector. Juliet knew the entire basics but kept quiet, her hands itching to get started. The Chief called for attention and the officers fell silent. Pictures came up on the screen. The first was a wedding photo of the Vasquez couple. Several officers started whispering and Juliet felt them staring at her.

"This was the 2008 cold case. Carlos and Samantha Vasquez disappeared from their hotel room in the middle of the night. They were not seen since then until Carlos' body turned up today." Lassiter clicked the remote he held and the photos changed to Carlos in the ice container.

"Besides the fact that they resemble two of our own, no prior contact has been found. The note was the main piece of evidence that actually connects both cases. Spencer's last point of known contact was on the Highway stretch, north of Santa Barbara."

He clicked again and the new photo was that of Juliet's Bug by the side of the highway under the sun. She felt like sweating by just the sight of the picture.

"These are the notes. Observe the similarity and difference. We don't know as to who actually sent the notes to Samantha Vasquez and Detective O'Hara."

On the left side of the screen, the first note was shown and the message Juliet had received was on the right side.

She saw a couple of officers take a photo of the screen. Juliet moved uneasily. The case was far too close to home.

Lassiter changed the slide, "This is the Prius that was used for both hit and run cases of Father Chris and Spencer. The CSU team verified the dent marks in the body of the side. Note that in all three cases, the Prius made sure to hit the victims by the side of the exterior rather than the front."

Juliet looked up frowning. Three cases? When was that? As far as she knew, first was the Father and second was Shawn and her.

Oh... of course. Juliet remembered the fight. Shawn had mentioned how he had nearly been run off the pavement by a Prius. Probably the same. She remembered him accusing her of not caring while the entire department had been concerned for him.

Juliet swallowed, feeling her dry throat act up. She saw everyone engrossed in the screen pictures and decided to get some water. The doctor had advised her to keep herself hydrated. She walked out of the hall and towards her desk.

Someone was already there. Someone who looked a lot like her.

The woman was wearing dark glasses and a scarf that covered her head. She had on a sweatshirt and jeans which contrasted the weak disguise. Juliet almost gasped. The woman was standing beside her desk looking at a wall board filled with wanted posters. She seemed mildly interested in them.

Juliet walked up to her, cautiously. What was Samantha Vasquez doing at a police department? More importantly, how was she alive?

Samantha turned towards Juliet. A smile came upon her look of surprise.

"Oh! Er... Detective Spencer, is it?"

Juliet stopped a few feet from her. Samantha looked completely at ease as though she had never had a disturbing day in her life. She removed the scarf and sunglasses. The resemblance between the two women was striking. Juliet swallowed, feeling her throat dry up even more.

"Actually, it's Detective O'Hara. I kept my maiden name."

"Oh well, that's you. I took on my husband's name. I wanted to. How rude of me! Here, I'm Samantha Vasquez."

She extended her arm for a neutral shake. Juliet, still wary, obliged.

"Mrs. Vasquez, what are you doing here?" She blurted out.

Samantha suddenly looked worried. Juliet unconsciously registered that her spare gun was still in her holster. She didn't know why, but leaving the obvious, something about Samantha Vasquez struck her as very odd and super creepy.

"Oh, it's actually terrible. You see, my husband is missing."

Juliet stared, "Come again?"

"My husband." She said, slightly slower, "He's missing. I know I can't really file a Missing Persons report until after 48 hours, but I was beginning to feel so worried."

Juliet was stupefied. She tried to connect the dots slowly. Samantha was married to Carlos. Carlos was, thus, her husband. Her husband has been dead for nearly seven years (as confirmed by the autopsy.)

So why was she coming up now to report him?

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Vasquez. But I don't understand. You mean to say he was missing for less than 48 hours?"

"Yes." She nodded her head vigorously.

Juliet confusion didn't find an outlet. Nothing made sense. Something was clearly off the tangent. She cleared her throat and went for a sympathetic smile.

"Well, I think we can do something about that. Why don't you take a seat? You can fill me up on him right now."

Samantha gave a smile of gratitude and grabbed the chair of the nearest officer's desk. Juliet sat at her desk, from where she could see inside Lassiter's office. Unfortunately, everyone had their backs to her, still engrossed in the slide show.

"Won't you take notes?" Samantha asked placing her elbows on Juliet's desk. The detective smiled and grabbed one of the unopened water bottles from her table. "I'm actually off-duty at the moment. Quite free. Yes, you can just talk."

"Alright. Well, the last time I saw my husband was yesterday. He seemed fine, nothing out of the ordinary. But today, when I went to his place, he wasn't there. I saw that the window was broken and the electricity had been cut off. I almost panicked, but I calmed myself and came down here. See, he's never really left the place for years, so I got worried when he suddenly wasn't there."

Juliet nodded tightly. She leaned forwards as though she was completely interested and not afraid of the strange doppelganger. "His place? Do you live apart?"

Samantha shrugged half-heartedly, "Yes. It can't be helped. I have a small place in one of the apartments in the east. There wasn't any place for Carlos, so we decided to live separately. There's nothing really wrong with that. We never had a reason to complain. Of course, there were times when I felt horribly lonely."

"Uhuh." Juliet said, sneaking a quick peek at the office. Nobody was looking in her direction. The rest of the station was practically cleared. Juliet was literally alone with a suspect for their case.

But for some reason, she couldn't find it in herself to pull a gun on Samantha. There was something about her that appealed to Juliet's sisterly instincts. It was clear that the woman needed help. The kind of help required was debatable.

"That's practical. When did you realise he was missing?"

"I went to meet him just an hour back. Like I said, it seemed like the place had been broken into. He was gone. I just hope no one hurt him. This is the first time in years that I don't know where he is. It's gotten me out of control. Oh God, my hands are still shaking."

She lifted her fingers, definitely shaking. Juliet stared. Samantha was very authentic.

And yet, she couldn't bring herself to take her into custody. Her obvious stress of not knowing where her husband was, hit a nerve in Juliet. She could relate to that wholeheartedly.

"Okay. We'll take this into consideration and check up on your husband. What's his address?"

"Austen Imports Industries. It's a warehouse just off the Ring Road of Santa Barbara. You can't miss it."

Juliet went slack-jawed. One of the scrambled dots in her mind connected to another free floating one. One piece of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place.

"Mrs. Vasquez... do you know that your husband... is dead?"

Samantha's shoulders slumped. "Yes. It's terrible. He's been dead for six years, ten months and twelve days. I keep count. I miss him."

Another beat of silence. "And you said, when you went to visit your dead husband today...?"

"He wasn't there. Someone had taken his body, that's for sure. I don't know why they'd do that. He's not a very social person. People practically don't know that he exists."

Detective O'Hara had had the displeasure of meeting some very unbalanced people in her line of work. She'd been threatened more times than she liked to remember by such characters. Samantha Vasquez created a completely new category. She was so polite and afraid that Juliet wanted to help her. Yet, it was clear that she was completely cooked in the head.

"Mrs. Vasquez. I need to know the truth." Juliet took in a deep breath. "Did you kill your husband?"

Samantha looked at her. She seemed sad. "Yes. I didn't mean to, though. I lost control and Carlos was just in the way. I regret it every second since. I love him. Detective, you must know how it feels to love somebody with your whole heart."

She gestured at the ring on Juliet's finger. The ring that had not been there, two days ago. Samantha placed her chin on her palm and looked at nothing in particular. She had a far off expression.

"Carlos and I were perfect together. It was everyone around us who had a problem. My brother included. Stephen's always been over protective. When he realised that Carlos was dead, he took care of it. He was a trainee nurse, so he knew how to clean up. He hid the body in an ice box and helped me escape. I had to cut ties with everyone. I kept moving from place to place for a couple of years, but I finally had enough. I shifted to Santa Barbara a few years ago. I brought Carlos along with me. The landlord of my building didn't want a huge container in his basement and I couldn't fit it in my room. So I arranged a room in the abandoned warehouse. No one ever goes in there. Not even runaways."

Juliet listened silently. Samantha was still reminiscing. One of the officers had caught sight of the Detective, sitting motionless in her desk across a suspect in an active case. Juliet raised her eyebrows and nodded subtly. The officers of the station went into action.

Samantha didn't seem to understand why she was being arrested. She smiled politely to everyone and let Juliet escort her to one of the holding cells. She gave no trouble.

"Oh, this is nice. A little small, but I've seen worse. May I have some water, please?" Samantha asked looking through the bars at Juliet and Lassiter.

Henry, standing out of sight, shook his head and muttered, "Off the edge. She knows she's a murderer and yet, she comes right into a police station to report a missing person."

"That's because she still loves him." Juliet muttered, handing her one of her water bottles.

Samantha smiled again and sat down on the lone cot, looking up brightly at her new temporary quarters.

.

Lassiter's fist hit the table. Gus sighed, "Lassie, she was trying to hide away from her brother. She probably has no idea where Stephen could be."

"She has to know something!"

"Have you talked to her about the note?" Henry asked Juliet. She shook her head.

"O'Hara, you find out if it was Stephen who sent the notes. Gus, I want you to check up on where active purchases of LSD sites are. Get Dobson to help you. Henry and I will go to Psycho-Samantha's place in the lower east section. There has to be some lead that we've missed."

Juliet rubbed the back of her neck as she left the office and headed to the holding cells. She hoped Samantha was still in her good mood. They had called in a psychiatrist from upstate but none would be available for at least a few days. Henry had been reluctant to get Madeleine to do it. But since, she was already in town, Lassiter had personally asked her to talk to Samantha.

It was gut wrenching to think about Shawn. It was close to two days that he was missing. It felt like a week had passed.

Juliet reached the cell and saw Shawn's mother, in her professional alter ego, conversing softly with Samantha. There was no heated discussion or even raised voices. Madeleine looked up and spotted Juliet beside the door. She turned towards Samantha.

"One second, dear. I'll be back in a while."

Mrs. Vasquez saw the detective and gave a small wave. Juliet responded with a strained smile.

Madeleine guided her outside Samantha's hearing range.

"What's the prognosis?"

The older woman sighed, looking as though her energy had been drained away. The detective knew how that felt like.

"It's a messed up story. At first, I thought she could have schizophrenia. But the more she talked, the more her brother came into play. I think it's him who's behind all the scenes, pulling all the puppet strings. Samantha explained how most of what she did in her teenage years was guided by Stephen. After she met Carlos, the siblings started to drift away. She was becoming more stable."

Juliet frowned. "Has she talked about the note?"

"Yes. She said her brother had sent it the first time around. It was actually meant for Carlos, but ended up with Samantha. The mix up was caused by the Priest who was hard of hearing."

Madeleine massaged her temples, looking down. "That note had made her think that Carlos was like Stephen with the same homicidal tendencies. It wasn't after the wedding when she realised that the note was actually for him. I don't think she ever wanted to show it to him."

"She loved him." Juliet replied. "I think she was planning on severing ties with Stephen."

"He wouldn't have wanted that."

The stayed quiet for a few minutes listening to Samantha hum an unfamiliar tune. Juliet thanked the psychologist and walked towards the cell alone.

The prisoner looked up. "Hello, again. It's quiet in here."

She sat down nodding, "Sorry about that."

"Did you find Carlos?"

Juliet tried to hide her wince. She'd almost forgotten about that. "The case is getting a bit twisted around. Samantha, I have a few questions for you."

"Of course. Anything."

"Well, what can you tell me about the note you received before your wedding?"

Samantha sighed and leaned her head against the bars. Like everyone else, she seemed drained too. "I'm sure Stephen sent it. It was supposed to be for Carlos. But Father Chris must not have heard him right and passed it along to me."

The cop stared. "Father Chris presided your wedding?"

"Oh yes. It was beautiful. He has the perfect voice to read out the scriptures. But he's hard of hearing and doesn't like to wear the hearing aids. I know he lives here in Santa Barbara now. But I've never gone to church during the time. It scares me to be alone."

Juliet almost reeled back. Her head pounded. How many more similarities could there be? The same priest who had married Samantha and Carlos had been due to do the same with Juliet and Shawn. She held a hand to stifle her groan.

Samantha hadn't noticed Juliet's expression. She was staring into space.

"Sa... Samantha? I too received a note before my wedding. Do you think Stephen could have anything to do with that?"

She looked up at the cop. "No. I sent you the note."

Juliet double backed. "What?!"

"I sent it. I saw Stephen in Santa Barbara last week. I read in the newspapers that a private-eye and a cop were getting married. There was a picture posted. You and Shawn look a lot like me and Carlos and it was quite wonderful to see that. But I had a bad feeling. When I read that Father Chris was involved in an accident, I tried to learn what Stephen was up to. All I found out was that he had rented a black car. But I guessed how he would think to try and upset the wedding."

Samantha shook her head and let out a giggle. "I don't think he understood that it wasn't Carlos and I. He still misses me, I guess. When I found out his disguise, I sent you and your fiancé the note to try and warn you."

Juliet stared at her hands, not really seeing them. Samantha hadn't hurt anybody else after killing Carlos. It was all Stephen. Her brother must have been very attached to her to simply let her go.

"The note was meant for Shawn _and_ me?"

Samantha nodded. She began whistling.

Juliet started to think back furiously. What had the note said?

_**The person marrying you  
is a serial killer.**_

_Marrying you. _

Who had married her and Shawn?

Not Father Chris. It had been the new priest.


	8. Psyched

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the TV show, **_**Psych**_**. Its characters belong to the cast and crew as do the producers of **_**Fear Itself**_**. Any copyright infringement is unintended and may be reported to me.**

**A/N: I haven't employed a functional reason as to why Samantha and Carlos look like Juliet and Shawn. It's just a crossover between the fics. Fantertainment to be enjoyed.**

* * *

**8\. Psyched**

"Gus! Tell me what you've got!" Juliet shouted as she ran back into the lobby. Gus jumped but immediately turned the computer screen for her to see. Lassiter had told him to check on the LSD listed sites.

"LSD doesn't have a medical use. It's completely banned in the States." He explained. "Lone Vicky is a streets dealer. He probably has some stock. It's actually close to Samantha's apartment. We can call Lassie and –"

"No, forget that! Gus, do you know who the priest was?"

He looked up, completely bewildered. "The priest?"

"For the wedding! The priest who married Shawn and me! Samantha sent the note when she realised that her brother disguised himself as the Father for the ceremony!"

Gus had a look of comic shock. He blinked, "The Father? I don't know. Didn't your sister-in-law, Marsha, book him?"

Juliet inhaled sharply. She had forgotten that. Her head was a mess of emotions. She whipped out her phone to dial Marsha. It was falling into place. The situation was surreal but she was finally beginning to see what the real deal was.

"Samantha guessed his game and sent the note to warn me. But Stephen had already spiked the house with LSD and it made me think Shawn was a serial killer." Juliet explained.

"Huh. That's a little weird. Actually, Shawn's a pretty good candidate for a serial killer profile."

"Why do you think I suspected him in the first place? Hello? Hello, Marsha!"

"_Juliet?" _Marsha sounded a little relieved. It had been a while since they had heard from each other. She clutched her phone tighter._ "Did you find Shawn? I tried calling but it went straight to voicemail!_"

"No, not yet. But tell me, who was the priest for the wedding?"

"_Priest?"_

"The Father!"

"_Oh, Father Dave? Yeah, I just called the church for a replacement and he was available. Why, what's wrong?"_

"Do you have a contact number, or may be his address?"

"_I have the number. I'll text it to you. And, Julie, you're father called_."

Juliet swallowed. She didn't have time for that. "Sorry, Marsha. I have to go. I have to find Shawn."

.

His cell phone hadn't been switched off. They were able to track the signal with the workable number. Stephen had rented the rooms in a derelict place down south of the town. Typical.

The door of the second floor apartment room was kicked open. Lassiter charged in, followed by Juliet and two others. Henry was next, whispering furiously with Madeleine who had insisted on coming along. Gus completed the team, looking around the messy place with a wrinkled nose.

Stephen's rooms could be described as Chucky's hideout. There were scratches on the wall, ripped wallpaper littering the floor and a smell of meatballs left way over time. Juliet noted with little relief that there was no blood or random pieces of dead bodies lying around. The only smell was that of the rotting food. The cramped place had two windows overlooking the street.

"All clear! No Stephen, no Spencer." Lassiter swore and rubbed his forehead harshly.

Juliet closed her eyes and lifted her face towards the ceiling silently praying.

"Do you smell that?" Gus asked sniffing the air.

"This is not the time for meatballs, Guster!"

"No, I meant the air. The windows are closed, doors were locked. But it's still cool."

Madeleine looked around, "He's right. The temperature's over a hundred degrees outside, how is it not sweltering in here?"

Juliet opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She was looking right into a grate. She blinked. The ventilation duct seemed to be clogged with something. She could feel a small amount of air but the rest of it was blocked.

She grabbed one of the fallen chairs and set it upright. Holstering her weapon, she climbed on the seat, her fists barely reaching the ceiling. It would have to do. She banged on the vent grate. Something heavy was lying on top of it. It looked like cloth.

"I know that shirt." Gus said, frowning at the grate. "I... I think it's mine!"

Juliet fitted her fingers through the metal ridges and used her weight to pull it off the ceiling. The screws came off – the grate clutched in her grip – and Shawn fell through the gaping hole.

It would've have been a disaster if Lassiter, Gus, Madeleine and Henry and the cops hadn't rushed forwards to help Juliet support his unmoving form and lower him to the ground.

"Shawn! Shawn, oh my god!"

"I'll call the ambulance!"

"He's too cold!"

"I got a pulse!"

Juliet placed Shawn's head on her lap as voices screamed above her. He was alive. He was safe in her arms.

.

She finished her second bottle of the hour. Sitting in the hospital waiting lounge was nerve wracking which made her incredibly thirsty. She saw Henry and Madeleine clasp hands together. Gus was mournfully eating a KitKat. Lassiter had gone back to the police station to continue the search for Stephen. It was beginning to look clear that he had skipped town.

Shawn had to be under close observation for the next few hours. The doctors had said something about body temperature and blood flow regulations. Juliet remembered how cold his skin had felt when she touched his face and held his hand.

But she had faith. If there was one thing she held onto, it was the belief that the universe would help make things right. She was an optimist. Shawn would be up and be crowned king of wit and sarcasm in just a few days time.

Juliet wondered how she'd have to break the news to Samantha. Carlos would have to be buried or cremated. She'd definitely be admitted in an asylum. The least Juliet could make sure of was that Samantha would receive the care she needed. Being away from her brother would help immensely.

Too bad Stephen had escaped. Juliet would have been quite trigger happy towards him.

It took another hour until which they were allowed to see Shawn. He had bruised ribs from where the car had hit him, his body had been subjected to the blistering heat of the highway and then the tundra conditions of the air vent system. While, the nurse cleared up the room for them to occupy, Juliet couldn't help but smile. He didn't look as dead as before.

Madeleine was close to tears as she took his hand and kissed it. Henry shook his head, muttering something about Shawn's idiocy. Juliet felt the exasperation. Looks like things would be okay with them.

"Lassie just texted." Gus whispered. "They put a BOLO out on Stephen, but nobody's seen him since last night. They're going to shift Samantha to the Court House in the morning to set up a trial date."

"Tell him I'll testify. She technically blew the case open. We can go under the insanity plea." Juliet added.

"She killed her own husband." Henry pointed out.

"And she saved mine." Juliet replied tersely.

Madeleine smiled, "That would be the right thing to do. She does need help and we'll give it to her."

Henry sighed but didn't say anything else. He took another look at the sleeping Shawn and said, "I need some coffee."

.

They basically stayed with Shawn through the night. Gus got a crick in his neck for sleeping at an odd angle in an uncomfortable chair. Juliet, lucky girl, got to lay her head next to Shawn's arm on the bed. She did have back ache when she woke up at around five in the morning. Madeleine and Henry had left to inform Juliet's family since she didn't want to leave him.

She wasn't sure what woke her up. Nothing had changed dramatically indicate a sudden shift in her awareness, but she felt the sleep slip away and she opened her eyes.

Reaching her hand to massage her back, she looked up and caught Shawn watching her with sleepy eyes.

"Shawn!" She whispered, ecstatic. Her fingers touched his face just to make sure that he was there.

His dry lips parted, but no sound came. She knew how that felt. Luckily there was a cup and a straw on the tray nearby. She had to remember to thank the nurse, never mind it was their duty.

The water made a visible difference to his consciousness. He took in a few deep breathes, relieved. Juliet filled the cup again, but he shook his head.

"Hey, you. Does anything hurt too badly?"

It took him a while to respond, "Ribs."

She placed her palm lightly over his chest. He didn't flinch, but the heart rate monitor registered an increase in the pace. She smirked. This could be fun.

Shawn blushed when he heard the monitor record the way his heart was reacting to her.

"It's been almost two days since the wedding. It seems longer doesn't it?"

He nodded. He seemed completely serious and engrossed in her face like that was all that mattered. Juliet smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

"Uh..." Gus stuttered from behind her. They turned and watched him stand up and fidget.

"Hey." Shawn managed to say.

"Dude." There it was. The voice of exasperation and relief completely melded in the usual-Gus-way. "You almost gave me a heart attack. You can't go around disappearing on people like that."

"Sorry." A tired smirk came up and that disarmed Gus' mock irritation. The latter sighed.

"I'll give you two some privacy."

He left the room and Juliet pressed her head into Shawn's shoulder, trying to smother her giggles. She felt him turn towards her, felt his lips in her hair and she relaxed for the first time since before the note was opened and read.

"Love you." He whispered.

Juliet kissed him properly. It conveyed what she felt and she took special pleasure in hearing the heart monitor go wild.

Running her fingers through his hair, they were interrupted by one of the nurses who barged in to check why the patient's pulse rate was off the chart.

"Um, sorry." Juliet straightened up still clasping his hand.

The nurse grinned. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but the doctor did advise a full twelve hour sleep before breakfast."

"Right." Juliet pushed back her hair and shot Shawn an apologetic look. He pouted.

"There's a fresh batch of snacks in the cafeteria. You can restock your energy. I'll give the doctor the news that the patient is awake." The nurse added, flashing his immaculate teeth.

She hesitated. It had felt so good to be near Shawn that she had neglected food. It hadn't seemed important before, but now, her stomach rumbled silently.

"It's fine." She shook her head, patting Shawn's arm. "I'll have breakfast later."

Shawn swung his head to look at her. "Hungry."

"You're hungry?"

"No. You."

"Hmm." She smiled, stroking his hair again. She couldn't help it. It felt like petting one of her cats. "That's alright. You look good enough to eat. I don't have to go to the cafeteria."

Shawn smiled faintly. "I knew you were demented."

She kissed his nose, feeling thirsty again. Maybe, just a small coke. The caffeine would sustain her for a few hours or until he dozed off again.

Juliet stood up and stretched her hands. "I'll be real quick. You want anything?"

"Some Jerk Chicken... spaghetti and a pinapple... smoothie."

"That'll happen." She kissed him again and shot the nurse a smile. He was leafing through Shawn's prognostic sheets and nodded towards her. Juliet cricked her neck, feeling the exhaustion seep into her bones. It had been a tiring two days. She couldn't wait to be back at home with Shawn, resting and doing nothing for a solid week.

Let others do the work. She could let go of her duties soon enough.

Brushing back her hair, she dragged her feet to the cafeteria to join Gus. She didn't want to spend any time away than necessary, but sleep obstructed her coherence and gave way to a yawn.

"How's he doing?" Gus asked in between the bites of his sandwich. Juliet closed her eyes dreamily.

"Better. He can talk but I think it hurts his throat. It's gonna take a while for him to recuperate fully, but you know Shawn. He'll probably try to get away from the hospital as soon as he eats something in the morning."

.

Shawn felt cold without Juliet holding his hand. Even though the nurse was happy to be awake at the insane hour, he was not. Seeing Juliet and Gus helped, but his chest was starting to hurt again.

"Hey." He called the nurse, who was heading for the door. "Turn up the morphine?"

It still hurt to talk. He wanted a cup of warm water rather than the cool drink but decided not to speak. His throat felt odd. Not exactly dry. He wondered if it was an infection.

Wow, what a way to spend the honeymoon.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, thankful for the mattress. Lying in an air vent was not as much fun as sneaking around in the vents as movies portrayed it.

A small spike of pain flared underneath his chest. Shawn looked down and frowned. He tried to move, but another stronger wave of hurt washed over him. He gasped, falling back on the bed.

What was happening? His heart rate was speeding up again. He could hear the electronic beeps go faster until it stopped without warning.

Shawn opened his eyes to stare at the machine. The lights had gone dim. He looked up to see the morphine tap shut tight. He watched as the nurse pulled a familiar hand gun out of his pant pocket. Juliet's gun. He stared at Stephen. How had he not noticed before? He remembered the priest who had presided over the wedding. The funny nose, the young face...

"Ordained?" Shawn asked the serial killer.

Stephen smiled. "No, I'm not ordained as a Minister. Not even off the net."

"Crap. So, Jules and I aren't married."

"That was the plan. You won't take her away from me."

Shawn stared. "What? Are you a jealous ex-boyfriend?"

"I'm her brother."

"No. She has two brothers and you're not one of them."

It hurt to talk so much but Shawn had to delay him. Stephen's hand was calm and the gun was steadily pointing at his aching chest. How long would Jules and Gus take to have a snack?

Well, since Gus was in the equation, Shawn was screwed.

Stephen took a step forwards signalling Shawn to lie back down and relax. "I lost her because of you. I don't know what kind of gimmick you're working here, Carlos, but I'm not letting you take her away from me again. She's all that I have."

Shawn inhaled sharply. "What the hell are you on, man? My name is Shawn, by the way."

Stephen tilted his head like a legitimate run away patient from the nearest mental hospital, "A rose by another other name, stinks just as much."

"I haven't showered in, like, two days. Give me a break."

Stephen released the safety on the gun. The pain in Shawn's chest flared up again. It was getting tougher to take proper breaths.

"You're going to call the station." Stephen said, pulling out a phone. It looked like a burner.

"Call the station." He continued. "And get them to release Samantha. Tell them to do it within the next five minutes otherwise the bullets are going to be emptied into your face."

He threw the phone down on Shawn's lap. The latter shook his head feeling the threat go over his head. "You're crazy. Plus, the way you just said that sentence...?"

Stephen's face darkened. He advanced forwards and held the gun a couple of inches from Shawn's face. Shawn went cross-eyed trying to focus on it. That just made his head hurt more.

"Now, Carlos."

That still didn't make any sense to him. "Seriously, my name is Sha –"

"It's just one thing!" Stephen hissed. "It's simple. Pick up the phone and call the Chief of Police, right now! Or else, your sweetheart will be attending a closed casket funeral soon."

Shawn swallowed. The guy didn't sound like he'd take any more setbacks. Just do it slowly.

He picked up the phone. He made his hands shake out of exaggerated fear (which wasn't far off.) Where was Juliet? And what about his parents? Gus was a lost cause if the cafeteria really did stock up just a while back.

He dialled up slowly. What was Lassie's desk number?

"Just dial in 911." Stephen gritted.

"Uh, no. That would go to the lobby under emergency. You wanted me to talk to the Chief, right?"

Stephen looked like he was having a fit. Shawn took another breath and punched in another number. Then he sat and pretended to think.

"Quickly!"

"I usually just speed-dial him. I haven't typed in his number for years. My iPhone's probably in some evidence bag."

Stephen glared at him. There was an incredible anger in that single look. "Then call your phone!"

"It switches off without charge and I always forget to do that."

Shawn honestly thought he was doing very well. Stephen hadn't shot him yet. The man groaned and stomped around the room. He did it silently too. Shawn was convinced that the note Jules had gotten was actually about Stephen, the faker who had fake married them off.

He pressed in another number when Stephen turned around. Trying to make like he remembered it, Shawn closed his eyes when his breathing went labored.

"Call the Chief." Stephen muttered again.

He wrenched his eyes open. For a second, Shawn couldn't breathe. And then he saw Juliet staring into the room through the glass window in the door. Her eyes went big as she saw Stephen holding her gun at Shawn.

The air felt light again. Shawn took in an open mouthed gulp drawing in the brother's attention.

The door to the ward was kicked open with such force that it rammed into Stephen, pushing him against the wall. Gus and Juliet stormed in. Gus did the most heroic act Shawn had ever seen. He launched his plate of steaming salad at Stephen.

Then Juliet gave a literal round house kick at Stephen's diaphragm that made Shawn gasp for air. The gun finally tumbled out of his stiff grip and she lunged for it. Stephen pushed out his leg and it hit Juliet's shoulder. Gus let out a war cry and jumped on Stephen's back, locking his arms around his neck and pulling back as hard as he could.

Stephen tumbled around the room, hitting the wall, the table of papers, the gifts sent to Shawn and the door.

Juliet grabbed the gun. She didn't hesitate.

Shawn barely got his hands to cover his ears when three ear-shattering shots went off. Stephen's body jerked. Gus leaped out of the way. Juliet's face was hard.

The noise ricocheted off the linoleum slamming into everyone's hearing. Gus flinched away as the brother slid down the wall, the latter's eyes still staring vacantly at Juliet.

.

Lassiter set down his phone and glared at Juliet. "Well, you'd think one bullet would have stopped him. Tell me again, why did you kill him?"

At seven in the morning, Juliet was drained. It was over. Stephen was dead. A lawyer was working to get Samantha institutionalised. Shawn would be let out of the hospital in four days. Everyone else was fine.

Only the politics was left.

"He was too close to shooting Shawn." Juliet replied curtly. "He'd even shut off the morphine tap and heart monitor. Plus, Stephen could easily have hurt Gus."

"I know the facts. The hospital has registered a complaint of disturbing the peace."

"How about I try and sue them for admitting a serial killer inside the premises?"

Lassiter sighed. It had been a long couple of days. "Stephen had a veritable nurse's license. He'd been working for them for more than a week. The staff said they had absolutely no doubts about him."

"That's their excuse." She muttered. "Carlton, what would you have done if it was Marlowe he had been threatening?"

Lassiter shrugged, "Probably would have used up all six bullets."

.

Madeleine was with Samantha when Juliet walked into the cell. They had debated on whether to tell her the truth about her brother's demise, but she seemed to have read it in their eyes.

"Maybe, he'll be happy now. He won't be alone, right?"

Madeleine smiled and patted her hand. Juliet ran her fingers through her hair. The situation about Carlos had already been discussed. Samantha had admitted that Carlos should be given a proper funeral.

"He won't be mad at me." Samantha said slowly, her eyes shining with hope. "He knows that I love him."

"There's no doubt there. They might even let you keep him." The psychologist hedged, supporting her.

Carlos' body would be cremated in an electric incinerator. If Samantha was lucky, she'd be able to keep the ashes. The lawyer had advised her to not hold her breathe though. If Carlos' uncles came to claim the remains, she wouldn't have a say in it.

"Samantha, I'm... appreciative of this." Juliet said slowly. "You've helped us so much."

She looked up, mildly surprised. The detective carried on. "I know that there are people would disagree with me, but the truth was your heart was in the right place throughout this case. So, I considered that. Thank you."

"Call me, Sam." She replied, her own way of welcoming the gratitude that was hard earned.

* * *

"Since we're not technically married, what d'you say to eloping? Or do you want to just forget the whole institution of marriage and stay fiancé – fiancée for life?"

"Tempting. But I was thinking of –"

"Please say Vegas."

"I was thinking City Hall."

"Oh come on! Oooh, wait! I have a better idea. OH GUUUSSSSSSS! Do you still have Father Westley's number?"

"Another wedding? I don't know if I can handle that."

"Jules, baby. This can be just for family. Small gathering. Garden wedding. And then we'll rechristen our house again as soon as the doctor says I'm fine for vigorous exercise."

"Shawn. Whatever happens this time, I'll never doubt you."

"You better not. I have more stamina than you think I do."

"I was hoping for you to tell it back to me."

"Fine, you have great stamina as well."

"I meant about the doubting part."

"Ditto. By the way, I have to confess. I lied to you."

"What?"

"When I told you about the bar fighting? Yeah, I actually did get into a couple of fights on my road trip. Got kicked out of a few bars."

"Oh. Well, I expected that. Anything else?"

"I've never killed anyone."

"Good. I kinda hoped you'd say that."

"Too right, Jules. Can you give me a neck massage?"

"GUUUSSSSSS! Shawn needs a neck massage!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT?! THE BOTH OF YOU CAN JUST SUCK IT! I'M NOT ARRANGING ANOTHER WEDDING OR GIVING ANY MASSAGES!"

_Sound of the main door slamming._

"... huh... wasn't it Marsha who arranged the whole wedding before?"

"Don't push it, Shawn. I had something to do with it too."

"Aw, Jules, I was joking. And now that we're alone..."

"No vigorous exercise!"

"I was thinking about a Mentalist Marathon!"

"... cool!"

...~*~*~*...


End file.
